A Sword and Shield
by FailingElegance
Summary: The most important aspects of any knight is the loyalty to his king, his honor, and of course, his sword and shield. A tale of kings and queens, knights and squires, revolution and war. AU. SasuSaku. Other minor pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_This story has been in my head for a while. It was slightly inspired from reading _A Song of Ice and Fire_ book series by George R. R. Martin. Wonderfully written stuff._

_I know what you're saying. "This is just going to be some rip-off, huh?" Nope. I'm just stealing the time period (Middle Ages). Swords. Castles. Knights. Princes. Princesses. Kings. Queens. All that good stuff. So, of course, this will be AU, as obvious as it may sound. I'm not too sure if this story will have any supernatural or mythological elements, yet. But, we'll get to that later._

_This story will not solely focus on Sasuke and Sakura (though they will be in the vast majority of this). The POV will shift from characters throughout the chapter._

_It's tradition to start off a fanfic with a little disclaimer. I do hope you enjoy mine._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, and FUNimation._

_A Masterpiece._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Emotions**

* * *

_"Let grief convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it."_

–_Shakespeare,_ Macbeth

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

His boots crunched ever so lightly on fallen autumn leaves and twigs as he followed the animal in his sight. The deer did not seem to notice the quiet sounds and continued around a patch of heavy shrubbery slipping from Sasuke's view. He gripped the bow tight in his hand and walked farther to catch up to the animal. Sasuke began to hear the sound of rushing water. Past the obscuring foliage, he could make out the deer lapping the water from the stream into its mouth. Using the sound of the flowing stream to conceal any noise caused by his boots, he walked with calculated footsteps until he got the animal fully into his sight.

The deer's head shot up.

He stopped, hoping it didn't hear him approach. The deer look around, and then it locked eyes with him.

His trained eyes quickly lined up the shot and let the arrow fly. It slammed through the animal's eye with a resounding thud, skewering its way through bone and muscle. It clumsily stumbled to the side of the stream and toppled to the ground.

Sasuke walked over to the lifeless deer and inspected his work. It wasn't the largest he had hunted but the cooks could prepare it and feed his family for weeks.

It had been a few hours of walking in the forest until he came across the deer. He had just finished putting his second rabbit in his game bag when he saw the deer scamper off in the corner of his eye. Itachi offered to come along as a partner, as he normally does, but Sasuke didn't think that it would be necessary. He assumed that it wouldn't take more than an hour, nor did he think he would be going after deer. He was wrong.

Sighing, he put the bow around his shoulder and grabbed the deer by the legs and started pulling.

He estimated an hour had passed before he heard a voice in the distance. "Sasuke!" The voice called. It was his brother.

"Over here!" He shouted through the forest in response, hoping Itachi would determine the general direction. Sasuke waited by his hunt until he saw Itachi in the distance through the surrounding trees. "Itachi!" Sasuke yelled, getting his brother's attention. "Help me with this thing!"

His older brother walked up to him. Itachi smirked at him. "I asked before you left if you would need any help. With 'no' being your response I didn't think you'd be trying for such a large animal." He gave light chuckle.

"Don't lecture me, Itachi," Sasuke said, annoyed at his brother's reaction. "And why are you here anyway? Didn't think I could handle hunting alone?"

Itachi held his hands up in defense. "I had no doubt in my mind that you would be fine. Mother on the other hand was worried sick. She told me to go out and find you, so here we are."

"Tch."

Itachi smiled. He walked around the lifeless deer and inspected it with skillful appreciation. "Right through the eye, hmm?"

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk.

"And yet you dragged it recklessly across the ground."

Sasuke frowned.

"I didn't have any other way to get it back," He elaborated, once again slightly annoyed.

"Which is why we hunt big game in pairs or more, Sasuke," Itachi chastised. His features softened as he continued. "It was still a good kill, though."

He would normally hunt with a partner, preferably Itachi, but he wanted to go at it alone today. He would have been perfectly fine with bringing back just the smaller game he had collected, but he couldn't stop himself when he saw the deer sprint away. He had to go after it.

Itachi rolled the carcass over and looked at its side and back. "No major damage to it." Itachi began to pick up the backside of the deer. "Help me out, Sasuke. Grab the other end." He gestured toward the deer's head.

Sasuke grabbed hold of the front end of the deer, and with Itachi, lifted it onto their shoulders. They shifted the deer slightly to allow as much comfort as possible. It would be a long walk back.

"Let's go," Itachi said.

Sasuke left no semblance of a guide back to the castle. He and his family knew these woods like the back of their hand. He used certain landmarks he had taken note of in his many travels through forest, like the stream, a felled tree, a fallen bird's nest not yet removed by the animal life. Little and big things he was aware of that he used to navigate.

He heard Itachi finally break the silence. "We're supposed to have visitors sometime soon."

Sasuke gave his head a slight turn backwards. "Oh?"

His brother nodded in return. "House Haruno. The Lord and Lady are supposed to be coming with their daughter. The pink-haired girl. You remember her, right?" Itachi continued. "You weren't too fond of her."

Sasuke did remember. They had visited four times before. Once, when he was eight. Another, when he was twelve. One when he was fifteen. And the last one when he was seventeen, two years ago. He remembered the girl with the pink hair. An only child. Sakura was her name. The first visit, she had barely spoken to him at all. The girl with the pink hair did not stay around the other girls, cousins of Sasuke or daughters of other lords or knights living in the castle. Why she did not, he didn't know. Instead, she would silently watch him when she thought he wasn't looking. He didn't complain really.

The second one was different. She would repeatedly flash a smile at him, a smile he had seen by other girls. A smile of pure adoration. It irritated him. It was not foreign to Sasuke that many girls fawned over him. This happened especially when lords of other houses would visit and bring their daughters along. Sometimes he would use it to his advantage, but most often he would scowl and pay it no attention. She spoke to him more than their first encounter. She frequently asked him what he was doing that day, what his dreams were, what he liked. And, lastly what he disliked, to which he promptly responded "You." She stopped talking to him after that.

The third and fourth visit was nothing special. She kept to herself.

"They're just here to visit?"

"I don't know." His brother shifted the deer on his shoulder. "Father just said they were staying for a couple of days."

Sasuke sighed. He would have to put up with this girl and her parents for a "couple of days." He loathed the sound of that.

He heard his brother emit a soft laugh underneath the sound of crunching leaves. "What's so funny?"

"It won't be so bad, little brother."

Sasuke scowled at him, and Itachi continued to laugh.

He shrugged off his comment. He would be the judge of that himself. He turned to look forward and saw that the forest was ending. They broke through the tree line and saw the large walls of the castle. The castle that seated House Uchiha.

It was large, slightly short of massive. One of the largest in the land. It dwarfed many of the other castles existing in the kingdom in height, length, and width.

The castle itself was in an expansive field. Surrounding the east, west, and north walls were hills while the south side contained the road which sloped into the entrance. It had been strategically built long ago to allow the castle to see invaders from a mile down the main road. There was nothing to block those stationed on the walls to see out into the horizon. The forest they were in was situated to the east of the castle, spaced apart by a mix of hilly and flat land. As he and Itachi approached the portcullis of the south side, the two guards stationed within quickly raised it and gave a respectful bow.

"We are glad to see you are unharmed, milord," one of the guards said to him after the gate was opened. "Lady Mikoto was worried."

He didn't respond. It irked him to no end that his mother didn't think that he could handle himself—in a forest of all places.

"We'll be sure to visit our mother in a bit," Itachi reassured. "We need to get rid of this thing first." He motioned to the animal on his shoulder.

"That is good to kno—"

"It took you two long enough!" a familiar voice interrupted. "I was beginning to think a bear got to you guys." Their cousin walking towards them, a smirk plastered across his face.

"Even if that were the case, the bear would have stood no chance, Shisui," Sasuke replied, smugly.

The other Uchiha shook his head and chuckled. His eyes traveled to the dead deer on their shoulders. "No wonder you were taking so long, Sasuke. Hunting an animal that's normally a two-man job, sounds just like you."

"Yeah, yeah, I already got a lecture from him," Sasuke said, pointing to his brother.

"Alright, I get it. Big Sasuke Uchiha is trying to impress everyone with his hunting skills."

A vein bulged on his forehead. "What was that?" Sasuke demanded, challenging his cousin with a glare.

"Yeesh, it was just a joke," Shisui said, waving off Sasuke's heated response.

Sasuke knew Shisui took great enjoyment in teasing him. He was his first cousin, the son of his father's brother. And as such he spent a lot of time around him and Itachi while growing up. He was basically another brother. And because of this, Shisui knew all the things that pissed him off.

"Okay, you two, can we please just get this deer into the kitchens?" Itachi asked, slightly frustrated at their antics. "I'm getting tired of holding it."

Shisui laughed and scratched at his head. "I hope the cooks will prepare it the moment it arrives. I'm starving!"

* * *

**Kakashi Hatake**

Kakashi watched from the king's side as the next person came with problems that they hoped would be resolved. King Hirzuen was getting old and would soon need to relinquish his throne his son Asuma, a personal friend of Kakashi's. He wondered what he was doing right now. He was sure something more enjoyable than this.

"Your Grace, I require aid! M-My daughter has disappeared! I have waited five days for her return!" he exclaimed in grief. "I... I believe her to be kidnapped, and I have nowhere else to turn." The farmer before them was sobbing now.

"Why would someone kidnap your daughter?" Kakashi heard the king reply.

The man seemed to be shocked by his question. "I-I-I don't know, Your Grace. A ransom, perhaps?" He choked out the response. His voice was raspy.

Kakashi felt bad for the man. The poor girl. If she were kidnapped it was probably on a whim. Maybe for a ransom, who knows? Considering she was simply the daughter of a farmer, her ransom would be worth nothing, though. She had probably already been raped and murdered by now.

"How old is she?" The king questioned.

"Th-Thirteen, Your Grace."

"And why are you so quick to claim kidnapping? Do you believe someone might have done this?"

"She wouldn't just leave, Your Grace. Where would she have gone? She has made no hint of wanting to leave the farm. She... she must have been kidnapped."

"And what would you have me do?"

"P-P-Please, your grace, send out a search party for my daughter! She is all I have!"

"I see, and you have no idea who might have done this crime?" the king asked.

"No, Your Grace."

With a nod, the king made his decision. "I shall send five of my men with you back to your farm. Do your best to guide them with what specifically happened."

"Thank you, Your Grace! Thank you!" The farmer exclaimed, relief and hope evident in his voice. The guards led the man out of the throne room.

"Permission to speak freely, Your Grace," Kakashi requested softly from the king's side.

"You may," was the reply.

"If she indeed were kidnapped, I would believe her to be dead. What worth is the ransom of a farmer's daughter?" Kakashi asked. "Do you believe the girl to be alive?"

"If she were taken, then no. I can't say I do. But to send him away without any help would be crime by itself," Hirzuen replied simply. "If my men do find her, it will probably be her corpse." His voice was not facetious but held only sternness. "Even if I know it's a fruitless effort, it is still my duty as king to give the people a sense of hope."

The guards shuffled back into the throne room and bowed to Hiruzen. "You have one more to deal with, Your Grace, a man accused of stealing food," a guard announced.

"Send him in," the king ordered. The doors opened to reveal a man dressed in tattered rags. He stumbled forward, after being shoved inside by one of the guards. The soldier pushed him to the center of the room.

"This man was witnessed by four civilians and a soldier of the City Watch stealing food from certain stalls across the market district."

The king rubbed his grey beard. "You are accused by many," the king proclaimed. "What is your defense?"

"I-I-I was hungry, Your Grace, I was… hungry. I hadn't eaten in days. Please, Your Grace! Have mercy!"

The solider turned to the spindly man. "The official punishment for stealing is the loss of fingers." The man's face turned into fear. "What would you have done to him?"

"Please, Your Grace. Mercy! I am just a lowly man! I-I swear never to steal again!" he begged. Kakashi looked at the frightened man. He was skinny and looked malnourished. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days. He probably would have gotten more luck as a beggar.

"You will not lose any fingers," the king decided. "You will spend four days and nights in a cell, and if I see you back again, then my punishment will be more severe."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

The guard seemed displeased with the judgment but stayed silent. "C'mon then!" he commanded, tugging the torn sleeve of the man.

"Thank you, Your Grace. Thank you," he continued to say. He was escorted from the throne room, leaving only Kakashi and King Hiruzen. Kakashi heard a sigh escape from the king's mouth.

"Something wrong, Your Grace?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm getting too old for this, Kakashi," the king replied. "You're dismissed."

.

.

.

Built by King Hashirama Senju centuries ago, the ancient castle of Konohagkure stared into the city with the ocean behind it's back. It was a magnificent thing. But it was also large, near the largest in all of the five Great Nations, and as such reaching his chambers took a considerable amount of time. So as the knight rounded the last corner that led to his room, he noticed the person at his door and inwardly sighed. He was tired and he hoped that he wouldn't be too exhausting this time.

"What is it, Guy?" Kakashi asked.

The knight looked up and pushed himself from the wall, giving him a thumbs up. "Kakashi! Where have you been? I've been outside this door for the good part of an hour waiting for you!" Guy exclaimed, his voice bellowing through the halls.

"Had to sit in on the king's judgment." Kakashi replied indifferently. He walked past Guy to his door and pushed it open. He unclasped his buckle and laid the sword his father had given him all those year ago on the table.

"Anything interesting?" Guy asked curiously, following Kakashi into the room. He went to sit in his usual spot, the chair next to the window.

"Some farmer's girl disappeared," Kakashi answered. He sat across from the other knight and stared outside. "The father claimed it was kidnapping. If it was, she's probably dead," he added.

Guy seemed to disapprove of Kakashi's quick conclusion. "Maybe she isn't. Is there going to be an investigation on her whereabouts?"

"Yes, King Hiruzen had some men go back to the farm."

"That's good."

They didn't say anything for a while. Kakashi couldn't help but calmly observed his friend. The knight had no house to which he belonged. Because of this reason he had no sigil. The king had found him orphaned on a farm at a young age and took him in and raised him like a son.

"Why are you here? Did you need anything?" he finally asked.

A grin grew onto Guy's face at the question. "Of course! My apprentice and squire will be entering next month's tourney. I came to ask if you could spar with him and assess his skill." Guy looked at him, awaiting an answer.

"Why don't you do it?" Kakashi inquired. Their skills were on par with each other's. Guy could just do it himself he wanted Lee to have practice.

"I know his attack patterns too well for it to be worth anything. Besides, Lee asked if I could get you to fight him."

He did have a point. It can be difficult to gauge one's skill against someone who's taught you everything you know. "Fine, then." It would give him something to do. Normally he would train with Guy, but fighting someone new could be refreshing.

"How about tomorrow at dawn?" Guy asked.

"That's fine." Kakashi replied. "Anything else?" He asked standing.

"Nope, that's it." Guy replied, lifting himself from the chair. He started towards the door. "Thanks, Kakashi."

"Yeah, no problem." Kakashi said. He watched his friend leave the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

**Neji Hyuga**

From the day he was born, his purpose in life was to serve and fight for House Hyuga. No more and no less. It was his destiny. He was not given the luxury of safety. He was expected to die in battle against those who would defy his house.

And he hated it.

It didn't matter if his father was born only a few seconds after than his uncle. That time difference was all it took to throw his father into the serving branch of the house. As a result, he also was part of this branch of the Hyugas the moment he was brought into the world.

He had no mother and father. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him, and his father had died protecting the head of the house and his brother, Hiashi Hyuga.

Neji hated his uncle.

However, he could not bring himself to channel those same feelings towards his uncle's daughter. He was a personal bodyguard for his cousin Hinata Hyuga, her retainer. He had kept his resentment for his house a secret, from her and everybody. If anybody knew of his position, he would most likely be tried for treason and executed.

He stood next to Hinata near the middle of the square, and watched as a member of the Side Branch was about to be executed for failing to save the life of his chosen member of the Main Branch. The member was killed by bandits ransacking his caravan.

After a member of the Side Branch becomes a certain age, he or she is given a person of the Main Branch to protect until the day one of them dies. If the death of the Main Branch member was caused seemingly due to the negligence of the Side Branch member, that person may be tried and executed, if seen fit.

Today was one of those days.

"They came out of nowhere!" the man pleaded, on the elevated platform. "I tried to do my duty!" The brand of those who were cursed enough to be born into the Side Branch could be clearly seen on his forearm. It was a simple pattern of lines that marked the person to be subservient to the will of the Main Branch.

"Then why weren't you killed, too?!" A voice from the crowd shouted.

"Kill him! He don't deserve to live!" Another aggressive voice screamed.

"Off with his head!"

A chorus of yells and shouts deafened the man's cries for mercy.

Neji watched as the executioner brought down his greatsword and slammed it through the man's neck, severing the head from the body. He saw in his periphery Hinata lower her head before she could see the massive blade meet its target.

Cheers were heard from the crowd. Neji clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword in anger, disgusted by their approval.

"I'm ready to go, Neji," Hinata muttered, her head still toward the ground, refusing to look at the decapitated corpse.

He nodded and escorted her back to her quarters in the main palace.

"Th-thank you for accompanying me today. I don't think I could have gone alone," she mumbled, standing by her door. "I wish father didn't force me to go."

When he was told that he would be her retainer, he didn't expect her to have been so nervous around him, barely able to form coherent sentences. That was five years ago. She barely had a stutter when speaking with him now. He replied simply. "It was my pleasure, my lady."

He watched her fidget as she stood by her door. "What is it, my lady?"

"Wh-when we're in private, p-please just call me Hinata," she said, unable to meet his eyes.

This slightly surprised him. "May I ask why?"

"I-I just want you to call me b-by my actual name." She was captivated by the laces on her dress.

"As you wish, Hinata," he appeased her by saying.

A small smile grew on her lips. "Th-thank you," she replied. "Y-You're free to leave, Neji."

He bowed. "Goodnight, my—" he cut himself off, still slightly perplexed by her previous request. "Goodnight, Hinata." He turned to leave when he heard her call his name once more.

"I-I'm not like them, N-Neji." Hinata said. "A-At least…I try not to be."

Neji turned to see her face full of remorse. Of course, Neji knew this to be true. Hinata was the least cruel person he knew. Before he could respond, she continued. "I-I could see the hate in your eyes. I-I-I don't want you to hate m-me." She looked as though she were on the brink of tears.

"I don't hate you."

She nodded her head and said slowly, "O-Okay." She seemed to have calmed down a bit after hearing him say that. She opened the door. He could tell if she believed him. "Goodnight, Neji."

His anger and fury from earlier seemed to dissipate as he listened to her words. He didn't hate her. "Goodnight, Hinata."

* * *

**.**

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**.**

* * *

_That was the first chapter. It took me a while to write because I was trying to assign roles to every character before writing this chapter. I didn't know if I wanted it to be winter, or not. It isn't, by the way. For clarification's sake, it's Autumn. _

_More characters will be introduced in the next chapter, so it will be longer. I'll probably only write mainly for the point of views of six or seven characters. Some characters will get a POV nearly every chapter. Some won't. Important ones will though. And of course, Sakura will be introduced in the next chapter because after all this is mainly a SasuSaku fic. They will have a lot of interaction with each other throughout the series. I wanted to build a slight background on Sakura from Sasuke's POV in this chapter before an actual POV from her perspective. Naruto and a few others will also be introduced. OC characters will also be kept to a minimum (there might not be any at all)._

_Also it is important to note that Neji and Kakashi, will have important roles throughout the story. The geography of the story will be explained more, so needless to say Sasuke, Kakashi, and Neji are not in the same place. Sasuke and Neji are in their own respective house's castle, while Kakashi is Konoha, capital of the Land of Fire, that indeed contains the Hyugas and Uchihas, and many more. It will be explained more in following chapters. It's complicated stuff I know._

_Tell me how I did! Leave me a review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_The second installment of the story is here, and I hope you enjoy it. I edited the characters in the story description and took out Neji and Kakashi because it truly is a SasuSaku fic and those are the true main characters. While Neji and Kakashi will be considered main characters, I took them out of the description. Sorry about that._

_But regardless, I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Decisions**

* * *

_"No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account_

_not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." _

–_Isaac Asimov_

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

They were in the dining hall, himself, his father and mother, Itachi, Shisui, Lord and Lady Haruno, Sakura, a few esteemed knights from both houses, and other nobles from the Uchiha and Haruno vassal houses. The most important were seated near his father at the head. The Uchihas were on one side. The Harunos were one the other.

They were on the last course of the feast that welcomed House Haruno. The Lord and Lady arrived that morning and the entire day was spent showing them around the castle to places they hadn't seen before or to places that were new. At the end of it all, a four-course feast was prepared. The first consisted of cut chicken lightly covered with egg yolk and spices, and multiple hard-boiled eggs. Pork, beef, pheasant, and venison from the deer that Sasuke hunted a week earlier took up the next two courses.

"Fugaku! Mikoto! This food is incredible! The chefs are geniuses!" Lord Kizashi Haruno bellowed. The lord leaned back in his chair with a chalice of wine in his hand. He was an average sized man with light red hair with sideburns that flowed evenly into his mustache.

"I have to agree with my husband," Lady Haruno said, smiling. "The food is marvelous!" Lady Mebuki, Kizashi's wife, had shoulder-length blonde hair. She sported a single bang that fell over her face.

His mother responded politely and with a smile of her own, "I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far."

"Well there's still one more course left. The deserts. Surely you can make some room for them?" Sasuke's lord father asked, a prideful smirk on his face.

"Oh, I never said I was full, did I?" The Lord laughed in response.

The hall was lively with chatter, and music was being played. The music was carefully chosen, Sasuke noticed. Songs about the courage of the Haruno knights and the conquests of their House. And songs about the Uchihas always playing after.

He was seated next to Shisui who was speaking to one of the Haruno knights about girls from each house. "That one," Shisui said pointing to a petite Uchiha brunette—one of Sasuke's distant cousin, a fifth cousin probably—, "I've heard is quite experienced in bed." He was laughing.

"Really, now?" The knight looked at the brunette. The girl locked eyes with the man and gave a coy smile. "I'll have to do something about that." He gave Shisui a laugh.

His brother to his left was talking lively with the Haruno girl about different subjects. One of them being horses and jousting. Specifically, Itachi's performance at the last joust in Konoha.

"I heard you were fantastic, Itachi." Sakura praised from across the table.

His brother chuckled. "I thank you for the praise, Lady Sakura."

"Just call me Sakura, please. So what's your secret?" She teased.

"Practice, practice, and practice."

"The knights I had been told you'd beaten have been practicing for _years_ longer than you. There just has to be a secret."

The joust they were talking about happened about three months ago in Konoha. His father had Itachi and Shisui enter with hopes that one of them would be victorious. Shisui had lost to Itachi in the quarter finals. And Itachi won the tournament. Sasuke was forced to watch from the sidelines. Unlike his brother and cousin, Sasuke was no knight. Itachi had been given the title when he was fifteen as testament to his skill. Sasuke had still yet to be knighted, and it pissed him off. He could stand toe-to-toe with any of the knights at this table.

The man across from had tried striking up a conversation with Sasuke on many occasions. He paid him no attention. He wasn't in the mood.

The doors to the hall opened to reveal the many cooks and servants bringing in different foods on silver and gold plates. Another wave people came from behind and swiftly cleared off the long tables to allow more food to be placed. Pies and other sweets were put on the table. Set on the tables were magenta colored jellies, a banner color for the Harunos, and jellies colored blue and red for two of the three banner colors for the Uchihas. The last color placed was white, a shared color of both houses. No doubt in symbolism, of course.

As the last bit of desert was being set, Sasuke felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up to notice Sakura staring at him. She quickly looked away.

"What?" he asked, curtly.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing." She didn't meet his eyes.

He didn't understand that girl. She and Itachi were practically flirting with each other this entire meal. Maybe she had grown an interest in her brother and would leave him alone.

Everyone eventually finished the last course of the feast, much to Sasuke's content. The plates were cleared out and people started to leave the dining hall, some knights with their arms draped some of the women and older girls. Sasuke was glad this entire thing was over. He watched his parents go off with the Lord and Lady Haruno, and Itachi walk out with Sakura. He made his way out the dining hall and into open air.

It was night, now. The moon was full in the sky and easily illuminated the ground below. A voice cut through the giggles and guffaws of the guests, "Sasuke!" Shisui said, approaching him through the crowd.

"I thought you'd be off with one of the Haruno girls," Sasuke said indifferently.

The other Uchiha cocked his head to the side. "I'm more interested with what you plan on doing. Like with you and Sakura?" Shisui said, giving a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Not interested."

"Oh, c'mon! She's a sight!"

"Then _you_ go fuck her," he snapped. If this was all that Shisui wanted—to bug him about Sakura—then he was about to leave. He felt a headache forming and was tired of all the noise he had been forced to listen to.

Shisui, on the other hand, seemed the least bit perturbed by Sasuke's comment and continued, shrugging it off. "Heh, I would, but I believe Itachi already beat me to it." Shisui gave a chuckle. "Who knew Itachi had his eyes set on that Haruno girl. You saw the way they were practically flirting the entire time, right?"

He glared at his cousin, but couldn't help but acknowledge some truth to his words. "You would have to be blind not to notice." He couldn't help but find it slightly strange though. He assumed Itachi had eyes for another. There was a girl that he had always spent a good bit of time around, a fourth cousin and daughter of a distant uncle, Izumi, he believed her name to be. Whenever, they would visit, the two would seem inseparable.

"So, what are you up to, then?"

Sasuke's patience was wearing thin. "Why does it matter? Probably just going to retire to my chambers."

"That's boring. Train with me, instead," Shisui said dismissing Sasuke's plans immediately. This threw Sasuke by surprise. He assumed Shisui wouldn't give up this opportunity of gallivanting to clash swords with him.

"We just ate. We'll just be sluggish."

"Oh, please, as if I didn't know that. I didn't mean right now anyway. Perhaps when it gets a bit later." His eyes seem to follow a group heading in the direction of the tavern.

He frowned. "I'm not going to train with you if you're just going to be drunk out of your mind." They had done that before, and it was a waste of time. Shisui just laughed every time Sasuke got past his defense and hit him. The next day, his cousin complained about the bruises Sasuke's tourney sword inflicted and of the hangover that plagued him the entire morning.

"I know, I know," Shisui grimaced. "I won't make that mistake again. Just meet me at the training square in an hour or so. I've been itching for some sparring." Shisui left Sasuke to go follow the crowd of people to the tavern, leaving him to stand alone. Sasuke decided that he would walk to back to his chambers and wait a while before heading back. Perhaps rest his head.

* * *

**Kakashi Hatake**

"I must say I'm surprised to see you are here as early as you are, Sir Kakashi," a voice from behind him said.

Kakashi was sitting at the table waiting patiently for the rest of them to arrive. Across from him sat Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, two of the four members of the the Konoha Council.

King Hiruzen, the owner of the voice, sat himself in the seat at the head of the table.

"I do my best to get here on time, Your Grace," Kakashi replied.

The king snorted in obvious disagreement, but said nothing in response. He instead began to place documents in front of him and sifted through them.

He was stretching the truth to an unbelievable length. He had to admit that he was keen on arriving late to events of all kinds. This morning had been no different.

Every dawn for the past few days he had been practicing with Guy's squire. He could clearly see the similarities between the two. Other than wearing the same bowl cut hair and green clothing, their fighting styles were alike, almost a mirror image. Guy was very proficient in hand-to-hand combat, almost ungodly so. The moment he saw an opening in his opponent's defenses he would, in blinding speed, close the gap between them with a dagger in hand.

He taught his pupil, Lee, this very way of fighting. When they had first began training a week ago, he knew this to be true when Guy asked him if he wouldn't mind Lee using a dull-bladed dagger in his practice. Kakashi didn't expect the squire's speed when he launched at his throat with the small blade as their swords rebound off each other. He was almost hit. In less than a second the dagger had moved from its place on Lee's belt to whiffing the air near his neck. It was as if he were fighting a younger version of Guy.

He had to concede that training with Lee wasn't as bad as he had anticipated.

"Where is Danzo? It isn't like him to be this late," Homura questioned, wearing the frown he was known for. He was an old man of seventy-five years, the same age as the king—as was Koharu. The two had practically grown up together. They had seen kings overthrown, the fall of nations and houses. Each exuded wisdom and obstinacy that Kakashi expected from people from as old as them. The lines of life experience marred their faces.

_That scowl suits you well, Homura, _Kakashi mused.

King Hiruzen looked up from his pages. "I'm sure he will appear shor—"

"Your impatience is irritating, Homura." Kakashi turned slightly to see Danzo approach them, his cane stabbing the ground with each step. The bandage covering most of his face held tight.

The four of them had been doing this for a long time, longer than Kakashi's life. Originally when Hiruzen had come to him, asking him to be on his council, Kakashi couldn't help but feel out of place when the first meeting arrived, but as the years passed he slowly assimilated within the group, at least as much as he could.

"The same could be said about your lack of punctuality," said Koharu calmly.

Danzo lowered himself into the seat next to Kakashi and observed the two across the table with a calculating stare. "I was busy," was his simple response. Their argument ended there.

Himself, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, the four of the them made up the Konoha Council, advisers to the king. Koharu dealed with domestic issues. Homura handled the king's treasury. Danzo managed foreign relations and things alike. And being captain of the king's royal bodyguard, Kakashi was military advisor.

"Now that we're all present, let's get on with this business," the king said. He pulled out different documents and asked for the council's opinions on the topics outlined in them. One being if money from the treasury should be used in attempting to upgrade the weaponry or funnel the money to the improvement of cargo ships. They talked about whether the taxes should be lowered due to it being peacetime. Even more were discussed until the last subjected was reached.

King Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with huff. "The situation in Amegakure has fallen apart. The government has been overthrown by revolution, and King Hanzo has been executed."

A disgusted look spread on Koharu's face. "What is that band of ruffians calling themselves over there? The Akatsuki? Something must be done about them." She paused before she continued, "The situation should have never reached that point."

"In attempt at negation, I had a messenger contact Hanzo before the city was closed off. Our help for the right compensation," Danzo spoke. "He had refused and decided to request aid from Iwa, instead. Hanzo was a damned fool and didn't know how to govern his people. And now he's dead. "

The now dead king of Amegakure, had been seen as a tyrant by many of the common folk in Ame and even in Konoha. He allowed his soldiers to seize property of farmers and merchant, he was particularly cruel with the punishment he dealt out, and among other things made his infamy grow. No one knew exactly why he did this. He was considered crazy and paranoid by many of his subjects. In the end, it costed him the love his people and eventually his life as well.

"We need to discuss what to do now," the king said. "Should we attempt an invasion?"

"An invasion is unnecessary," Kakashi said. "Detrimental even."

"Detrimental? We need to send our troops over there to prove a point. Send a message to other smaller nations that you will be put down if you revolt," Homura replied.

"Nonsense," Danzo voiced. "There's no reason to start marching out troops. Ame is outside our sphere of influence. If we attempt to annex the kingdom, we'll become disliked by many. We'll lose valuable allies."

"So what do you want to do? Sit and do nothing? Wait for other nations to start revolting, as well? It will spread like a plague to the kingdoms within our influence."

"It is nothing to worry about. No other kingdom shows signs of revolution." Because of his position as foreign adviser, Danzo made sure he did his job well. He had acquired a vast network of spies from low to high places in many foreign lands. Kakashi trusted Danzo information well enough to understand he would know if there were whispers of conspiracy and revolution in other kingdoms.

"Perhaps you are right, Danzo," Koharu spoke. "But, if we don't invade then what will happen to the highborn there? They will be slain. A form of peacekeeping _must_ be implemented."

Danzo didn't seem the least bit flustered as he responded. "They are too far away for us to do anything about it, and if we attempt to interfere, we might lose more allies than we'd save."

"You mean they're worthless?" Homura's accusation cut through the air like a blade.

He locked eyes with the older man. The response was quick and blunt. "Yes."

Kakashi could feel the tension in the room. "Perhaps we can make an agreement with other nations to help?" He attempted to alleviate. "To show that we don't simply want Ame for ourselves."

"Our scars with Kumo run too deep, and I doubt Suna will help us." The king replied from his seat. "And with the memories of the war still on everyone's mind, there's no chance that Iwa will allow us to interfere with a kingdom within their influence. The only Great Nation that I can imagine that would help us is Kirigakure."

"And what of the nobles? Surely we can't let them be killed," Koharu responded.

"Perhaps it would possible for us to allow the nobility from Ame a place within these walls until we figure out what to do with them. We could send troops to our closest border with Ame just in case they do come. They can be escorted back here," Kakashi suggested. It wouldn't be taxing on the supply of men. The amount of soldiers that would need to be sent over would be small.

"We can do that," the king agreed. "It will be easy enough."

"Can you get word to the nobles in Ame that asylum will be offered in Konoha?" Homura asked across the table to Danzo.

Danzo seemed to think this through as it was a while before a response came, "Yes, it wouldn't be too difficult, and they would owe us substantially." _They would owe us their life. _Kakashi could practically hear the unspoken words flow from Danzo's mouth.

"Then it's concluded," King Hiruzen declared. "I agree that an invasion would be impractical, instead word will be sent to the nobility in Ame that asylum will be offered in Konoha. We'll have to continue to monitor situation in Ame." He stood and said, "You're dismissed."

* * *

**Sakura Haruno**

She and the rest of her family had entered the massive walls of the castle earlier that day accompanied by nobles and knights of their house. They were greeted as if they were long lost friends and treated to magnificent food after all the touring was done.

That was when she saw Sasuke Uchiha, sitting next to his brother across from where she was seated. He looked as handsome as always.

She would have been perfectly fine with making as minimal small talk as she could and simply keeping to herself for the rest of the evening, but Itachi Uchiha had different plans. He immediately struck up conversation with her, talking about specific, and random things, jousting being one. Even though she didn't attend, she couldn't but praise Itachi's performance in the recent jousting tourney. Her father's knights said that he rode spectacularly and won the entire thing.

He was just as handsome as his brother. But he carried himself with stoicism—and yet at the same time, in an astoundingly friendly manner—she had seen in so few men.

He had asked her questions about herself, her dreams, what she hopes to accomplish in the future. And she asked him similar questions. He responded to them with a brilliant smile that made her heart flutter.

Any woman would be lucky to be with a man like Itachi.

"How long are you planning on staying?" Itachi had asked her.

To be honest, she was never told a definite answer, so she didn't know how to answer the question other than saying, "I think maybe a week or two."

"That's good, it will give me time to show you the garden. You've been there before, right?" Itachi asked with a smile gracing his lips.

She remembered Lady Mikoto's garden. "I have, but it was over five years ago since I last saw it," she replied. She recalled that it was beautiful. With different types of trees and flowers sprinkled throughout the garden, it looked like a paradise.

"Then I must show you it. Five years is a long time, and more flora has been added," he exclaimed.

She chuckled at Itachi's uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "I'd love to see it at some point."

When the final course of the meal was being placed on the table, she had let her eyes wander to Sasuke. As if on cue, he responded with a terse, "What?" It was like a little jab at her heart.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing."

The feast had continued with Itachi still speaking to her as if they had been friends for years. When Lord Fugaku announced the feast as finished, the entire room filled with chatter as they left. She had tried to return to her chambers, but she felt a light tap on her arm.

"Sakura, may I escort you to your quarters?" Itachi asked, his onyx eyes effortlessly piercing her. It took her by surprise.

"I…I suppose you may," came her hesitant reply. She felt many eyes bore into her as she walked out with Itachi into the moonlit night. He kept a respectable distance between them as she they continued to walk through the courtyard.

"I must apologize for my brother's behavior, Sakura," he said, eyes straightforward.

"There's no need," she reassured. "I probably shouldn't have been staring."

Itachi's response was silence. He seemed lost in thought.

"Thank you, by the way," Sakura continued, her eyes slightly downcasted. She saw Itachi turn toward her.

"Why am I being thanked?" He grinned.

"For keeping me company and talking to me at the feast." She was truly grateful. It was the first time anyone from the Uchihas had given her the time of day, let alone have a full and engaging conversation with her.

His grin grew into one of the smiles that seem to come naturally to him. "I meant to last time you were here, but I was caught up in house business."

.

.

.

The Uchiha banners were hung on the side of the wall in the grand entrance to the main palace, and the uchiwa fan glared back at her as they entered. After they had walked for some time through the hallways and up a few flights of stairs, Itachi looked back and asked, "Will you allow for a little detour?"

"Sure. Where are we going?" Sakura replied, following the Uchiha down the hallway.

He slipped around a corner to another smaller hallway. She moved around the wall and saw Itachi push open a full length window that led to a balcony, dotted with potted plants of different kinds. She made her way through the window and looked down over ledge. It was about twenty feet to the ground, but she could make out two figures bathed in moonlight. As her eyes adjusted, she recognized them to be Sasuke and Shisui. They were making their way to the dirt circle outlined in stone brick directly below the balcony.

"Did you know they were here?" She asked her escort. She watched the two walk to a wooden rack that held swords and what she thought to be wooden shields.

"Shisui had mentioned earlier that he wanted to train with Sasuke. This place is where the three of us learned how to wield a sword and is exclusive to us and high-rankings knights. I assume it was worth a check to see if they were here or not."

The two took a sword for each of them. Shisui held it in his right. Sasuke in his left. They stepped into the large dirt circle next to them.

"I forgot Sasuke was left-handed." She mentioned. Sakura attempted to remember the feast. She thought that she recalled Sasuke was using his left hand for the majority of the time, she wasn't sure though. He probably did.

"It works to his advantage. Most people find it more difficult to fight against opponents who are left-handed."

Down below, Sasuke and Shisui waved the swords around, giving them practice swings.

"Those are tourney swords, right?" She already knew the answer to the question—at least she hoped she did. Surely there would be no way they would practice with sharpened blades.

"Of course they are," Itachi laughed. "We don't train with each other using real swords unless necessary."

_Like times of war. _She turned her focus back to the Uchihas in the circle, moving about each other, waiting to strike. For the entirety of the feast, she only saw Shisui laugh merrily along with everyone else, a grin constantly on his face. Now she could only see a dead serious expression. Sasuke didn't seem perturbed by this and stared back with a calculated gaze.

"Shisui may be lighthearted for the most part," she heard Itachi comment next to her, "but when he gets behind a sword, it's incredible to watch."

For Itachi's to praise someone and deem their skills as incredible made Sakura all the more interested, and at the same time, slightly anxious and excited to see how this match unfolds.

"But, so is Sasuke," he finished.

The two immediately clashed, a loud metallic clang echoing through the air.

Sasuke was the first to react and quickly slammed his sword against Shisui's again. And again. And again, attempting to overwhelm the other Uchiha. Shisui deflected the last cut which sent Sasuke stumbling forward, and into an incoming slash. He swiftly rolled below sword and ended up a few feet on the other side of Shisui. Leaving no time for Sasuke to stand again, Shisui attempted to deliver a slash to his side. It was blocked. Shisui retracted his blade to attempt another hit, but before he could bring his arm around, Sasuke lunged forward with a stab, barely missing a side stepping Shisui. He rolled into standing position and faced his opponent.

"Incredible," Sakura said, as the two went back at trying to land a hit on each other.

"The Uchiha are taught to attack in a way that gives them easy flexibility. At the beginning, it's safe to assume Sasuke was trying to throw Shisui off by attacking aggressively, more so than he normally would. A different style than what is taught. It was a gamble," Itachi explained.

She watched as Sasuke ducked an attack at his head, and tried to counter with a thrust.

"It didn't work, and it almost made him lose," he continued.

She had never spent more than ten minutes with a sword in her hand, loathing the fact that she was not allowed to train in the art herself. Sakura knew a bit about swordfighting not from doing it herself, but reading books on the subject. A great emphasis was placed on well-developed footwork, and watching how precise the Sasuke and Shisui's movements were, she understood that this held true.

It was hard for her to tell but she assumed Sasuke was the one with the initiative in the battle, every time he attacked, he stepped closer to Shisui. And Shisui stepped back. A small retreat.

Shisui pulled his sword arm back slightly to deliver another slash. Noticing this, Sasuke immediately went lean into the incoming sword, his blade poised to block and most likely parry it. Yet Shisui's arm was still moving back. Using the momentum of his arm, Shisui quickly rotated on his feet, flashing his back to Sasuke for only an instant and swung the sword to Sasuke's unprotected side. Sakura realized what happened in the mere second that had just past.

Shisui executed a flawless feint.

Sasuke, slightly flustered by the movement, tried to move his sword to his other side to guard the attack, but the blade smashed too close to the guard of Sasuke's sword. As if in slow motion, Sakura watched his hands struggle to keep hold of his blade as he stumbled backwards and attempted to regain his footing. Shisui was quickly upon him, not allowing the younger Uchiha to compose himself. Sasuke's second step backwards never hit the ground. Shisui had hooked bottom of Sasuke's calf with the bend of his foot and raised his leg in the air, tripping the Uchiha while at the same smacking the loose sword from Sasuke's grip, sending it clattering to the ground. Within a matter of seconds, Sasuke looked from being dominant in the match, to on his back in defeat.

Shisui pressed the dulled blade of his sword to Sasuke's throat signaling his victory.

Sakura had seen so few fight as gracefully and strategically as the two she had just witnessed. "They were unbelievable," she couldn't help but say. Was that how well the Uchiha fought? No wonder they were one of the most powerful houses in all the lands. "I can't believe Shisui was able to trick Sasuke like that," she continued to praise, watching said Uchiha extend his hand to help the other to his feet.

"Near the middle of the match, he began conditioning Sasuke to block whenever he moved his foot back with his right arm raised. It was subtle but it worked," she heard Itachi reply next to her. He had a smirk on his face. "Messing with the opponent's mind is important in any fight."

From what she had just seen, there was no way she could disagree. Sakura marveled at their ability to think like that as they were fighting. Each slash the two threw at each other had purpose behind. Each was used to assess a potential weakness, to overwhelm, or to execute a short term plan devised in the midst of swords clashing.

"It's getting rather late, Sakura." Itachi had started to walk back into the hallway. "Allow me to escort you the rest of the way to your chambers," he said as he stopped and looked back at her.

She nodded and gave one more glance at the two. They had backed up from each other and poised their swords, ready to strike once again. The two were going to continue.

"They will be at it for a while," Itachi commented, a relaxed smile on his face. She couldn't help but return it.

When they finally had reached her room, Sakura couldn't help but restate what she had said earlier. "Thank you, Itachi, for spending time with me, today." She knew she was blushing because she could feel her cheeks heat up at her gratitude.

And as he had done so many times that night, he smiled. "It was my pleasure. I hope to speak with you some more."

A question, however, was pestering her since she saw how Sasuke and Shisui fought so expertly. She couldn't help but ask. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I have a question."

"Ask away," Itachi encouraged.

Sasuke and Shisui fought very well. Even better than some of the knights she had seen, probably better than most. "I know that you are knight, but what of Shisui and Sasuke?" She remembered the jousting tournament held some time ago in Konoha that was exclusive to only newly appointed knights, and Itachi had done exceedingly well and won. Sakura didn't know if Shisui or Sasuke had attended because she couldn't go.

"Yes, Shisui is a knight. Sasuke isn't though." He must have seen the slight surprise that etched across her face because he continued. "Father plans to knight him depending on his placement in an upcoming tourney in Konoha."

"The one that's hosted next month?" She had heard her father and some of the knights talk about how they expected young men from all over the kingdom to attend. One of the biggest yet. "After seeing what he's capable of, I doubt that he will do poorly. I wouldn't be surprised if he won."

Itachi appeared as though he was thinking, and then replied, "We can only hope, huh? Will you be going with us?"

"Probably not, my father doesn't allow me to go to tournaments, no matter how much I ask," she replied, irritation in her voice.

She noticed Itachi make a slightly displeased face. "Maybe I can convince him otherwise."

"That would be wonderful!" Sakura exclaimed. She had always wanted to see a tournament. She had spent most of her life within the walls of her house's castle and was rarely allowed to go visit other places when her parents did. As result, she had only been to Konoha twice, both at a very young age. She wanted enjoy things like tournaments like the rest of her house, and she hated that her father insisted that she couldn't attend. "He's very stubborn though," she had to say.

"It doesn't hurt to try," he reassured.

She wondered if more people were like Itachi. He had friendliness on the inside that could brighten anyone's mood. "I won't keep you any longer. Goodnight, Itachi, and thank you."

A lighthearted laugh escaped his lips. "You're welcome, and goodnight."

* * *

**Naruto Uzumaki**

He looked at the sheet of paper on the wall.

_Come one! Come all!_

_At beginning of the next month a tournament will be held by His Majesty, King Hiruzen!_

_Come see many young men from all over compete to see who will come out on top!_

A huge grin grew on his face as he took the flyer from the wall and stuffed it in his pocket. He picked up the wooden crate of fruits and vegetables he had bought as he made his way back to the inn.

They were in one of the small villages west of Konoha. It was quaint and quiet, and from his three-week stay so far.

Naruto had grown up without a mother or father, so his first memory was being in an orphanage. Surprisingly enough, King Hiruzen took him in and allowed him to stay in the castle. It was the happiest day of his life. Naruto was trained by one of the best knights in the land, Kakashi Hatake, along with another student, Sasuke Uchiha, and he would be lying if he claimed that he did not miss them. Eventually he was adopted by Jiraiya when he was fourteen, and the king permitted their departure from Konoha. Jiraiya was like the father he never had. The old man had told him about his deceased mother. She was a beautiful woman with long red hair that also had a short temper. When he asked about his father, Jiraiya claimed he knew nothing of him. Didn't know his identity or even if he was alive.

Supporting the crate on his knee, he pushed the door to the inn open. The first thing that came to his ears was his perverted teacher's flirtatious comments with one of the women.

"How long have you been here? And when are you leaving?" Jiraiya questioned his new found interest. He sat in across a small table from the woman.

The woman gave him a weird look, and Naruto rolled his eyes. "Hey, Pervy Sage! I got us dinner!" Naruto walked over and placed box of fruit and vegetables on the table in between his teacher and the woman.

She looked between the two males. "I think I'll just go for a walk," the woman said slowly, getting up from her chair and moved to exit the building.

"No wait! Come back!" Jiraiya exclaimed from his chair. The woman only sped her pace and exited through the door. His face portrayed all spectrum of sadness and failure.

Naruto let out nervous laugh. "Sorry about that."

Jiraiya shot Naruto a glare as he occupied the seat the woman had recently gotten out of, but then let out a defeated sigh. He picked up an apple and took a bite of it.

"We could have bought meat from the inn, you know," Jiraiya said as he continued to take bites of the fruit. "A steak, perhaps."

"We need to conserve money, right?" Naruto replied, echoing a statement his teacher had said before when commenting on Naruto's choice of rather expensive food. "Oh yeah!" Naruto said reaching into his pocket and revealing the paper. "Look at this!" Naruto placed the flyer in front of Jiraiya. He pulled out an apple of his own and bit into it as his teacher read the paper.

"A tournament, huh? You want to watch to this?" His teacher seemed baffled by the sudden request.

"Watch it?!" Naruto yelled and pumped his fist into the air. "I want to enter it!" Training with both Jiraiya and Kakashi Hatake, Naruto had grown very proficient with a sword over his life. He was itching to test his skills against someone other than his teacher.

A smile grew across Jiraiya's face.

Naruto watched him take another bite of the apple.

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

_I omitted Neji from this chapter simply because it was kind of running long. He'll make an appearance next chapter. And as you can see I introduced both Sakura and Naruto to the story. I must say I did enjoy writing the interaction between Itachi and Sakura. I always felt as though there could have been a lot of potential there in the main series. Kind of wished Kishimoto would have explored it a bit more. There will also be more interaction between Sasuke and Sakura in the next coming chapters (than two lines of dialogue)._

_A little intereting fact regarding Sakura in this chapter. I originally planned on creating original characters for Sakura's parents but I remembered that they were indeed canon. I think they only appeared for one episode. They were given names, however, and I used them. You'll see more of them, and Naruto as well. His POV was short this chapter but they will get longer, I promise._

_Did you enjoy the interaction between the members of the Konoha Council? I always wondered the interaction they had, so I expressed my thoughts in that part. I made Kakashi the military adviser to Hiruzen and also made him part of the Konoha Council, as well. I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to do this, but if feel as if it is important to the plot that he is. His title as captain of the king's personal guard and "de facto" general will become more important as the story progresses. And also the Akatsuki have been introduced to the story, too, and overthrew the Amegakure government and executed Hanzo. Fitting, right?_

_Tell me if you like the story so far! Leave me a review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you for all those who reviewed, favorited and followed, the support means a lot, and I apologize for the late update. I had to deal with school related things, like exams and what not. Anyway on to the story._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The Gifted and The Cursed**

* * *

_"Life and death. They are somehow sweetly and_

_beautifully mixed, but I don't know how." _

–_Gloria Swanson_

* * *

**Kakashi Hatake**

Their swords buckled as they stepped through the crowded area of the market district. The seagulls cawed, and the air smelled salty. It was situated in the east side of the city bordering the sea. The goods from the harbor could easily reach where it needed to go with the merchants so close.

Kakashi should have known that going out in public with the prince was a bad idea. He was used to the many stares he would receive, but it was as though every pair of eyes were on him while in the company of Fire Country's prince.

"Asuma, couldn't you have just gotten someone to go buy the things you needed?" Kakashi asked the prince irritably. "Did I really need to come?"

"Sometimes, Kakashi, I feel like getting a breath of fresh air." He was very charismatic, easily approachable, and had what appeared like an innate way with words. Which it came as no surprise, that Asuma didn't mind the eyes that always seemed to follow him. "Besides most of the time I'm accompanied by at least five guards. But you're here so it's a win-win." Given that Kakashi was captain of the king's personal guard and military adviser, the prince didn't need to be accompanied by anyone else. Having Kakashi Hatake with him was sufficient enough.

They continued to weave by people. Some women would tell the prince how handsome he was. Some men would send envious glares in his direction. Most simply gave a respectful greeting as he walked by.

Eventually, Asuma stopped in front of a merchant stall that had a vast array of jewelry placed in display cases. "I am humbled that you decided to stop at my stall, Prince Asuma and Ser Kakashi," the merchant spoke.

"You have many beautiful jewels for sale," Asuma complimented. "It would be impossible not to look."

The man stood upright even more. His pride in his trade showing. "So, what is that you are looking for, my prince?" the man asked. "Rubies? Emeralds? Sapphires? Diamonds? Silver rings? Golden necklaces?"

"A ruby necklace," Asuma answered without missing a beat.

"Rubies is it?" The merchant swept his hand over the case that housed that red jewels. "Gold or silver?"

"Gold."

"A wise choice," he said gesturing his hand to a glass container filled with three golden ruby necklaces. "For you, a discount, my prince."

Asuma let out a hardy laugh. "Nonsense, I'll pay full price."

"I can't possibly, my prince," the merchant said, though Kakashi could see the relief in his eyes.

"I'm a customer like everyone else," Asuma laughed.

"You are too kind."

Kakashi watched as Asuma's eyes locked onto a golden necklace with a thin chain. It was unblemished and in pristine condition. The ruby sparkled within the oval centerpiece.

Asuma reached in his pockets and presented the man with the necessary silver and gold. The man counted the coins given to him. His eyes squinted in confusion.

"Prince Asuma, this is…this is too much."

Kakashi quickly counted up in his head the amount Asuma had given and realized that it was almost double the price of the necklace.

"It's all right," ensured Asuma, giving one of his signature smiles.

"M-My prince, you truly are too kind," he replied, inclining his head in respect. He proceeded to unlock the glass display case and presented Asuma with his necklace.

"This is a beautiful necklace. If you don't mind my asking, where in the world did you get this?"

"I don't mind at all, Prince Asuma. I acquired it in my travels through Suna. Even though they are surrounded by desert, they make some of the best jewelry," the merchant replied. "It was a pain to get there, but it worked out in the end."

"I suppose it did. I hope you have a good day," Asuma said, smiling at the other man.

"Yes, and you as well," was the reply.

Kakashi could still feel the eyes on them from people hoping now the prince would stop at their stall. However, Asuma made no motion to any other and eventually they found their way out of the market district. They turned a few corners and were soon alone in an alley with, the faint hum of bustling city life still evident around them.

"So a ruby necklace, huh? So that's why you wanted me to come." Kakashi said lazily.

"Yeah, you think she'll like it?" The prince asked almost if to himself, staring at the jewelry in his hand.

Kakashi didn't answer. The prince was lost in thought.

_How hard it is to love someone and know you can never be with them. _He felt for his friend.

"When are you going to take it to her?" Kakashi asked.

"Right now. I want to see the look on her face."

The two of them walked out of the alley and made sure to stay away from the main roads of the city. They didn't want to attract any attention, and eventually they arrived at their destination. A two story house that didn't look any different from those connected to it and that was decently far from the castle.

Asuma gently placed the necklace in his pocket and knocked on the wooden door.

"I'm coming!" Kakashi heard a female voice from within the building yell. The door opened and revealed a woman he had seen often. Her black hair was in a bun held together in a tied cloth. The recognition instantly flashed in her eyes.

Kakashi saw the smile immediately grow on her lips. "Please come in!" she said poking her head out of the door and looking around.

"Don't worry, Kurenai. We made sure no one was following us," he assured as he and Asuma walked into the house.

He had been to the house plenty of times before. It was nothing special. It was broken into two separate floors, with the bottom holding a kitchen, living area, washroom, and fireplace. The bedroom was on the top floor. He wondered how many times the prince had found his way into this house.

Kurenai closed the door and instantly threw her arms around the prince, burying her head in his chest. Asuma returned the hug and they held each other for what seemed like an unending time.

"It's been two weeks since I last saw you, Asuma," she said, breaking away from the hug and placing a hand on his cheek.

"Sorry, I haven't had the time, the upcoming tournament and all," he replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's not a problem, how long can you stay?" She asked.

"Until tonight," he said. He could see the disappointed look on her face, so he attempted to explain, "I wish I could stay longer but—"

"It's okay," she interrupted softly, "I'll take any time I can get with you."

Asuma smiled and reached into his pocket and presented the necklace to her. "I got this for you," he breathed.

Kurenai's eyes widened. As she shakingly grabbed hold of the golden piece of jewelry.

Kakashi now knew why his friend opted for the ruby gem almost immediately. It drew out the beauty of her unique red eyes.

"I-I…I can't accept this, Asuma," she said, still staring at it.

"We've been seeing each other in secret for four years, Kurenai. You never allow me to give you gifts. Just accept this one," he pleaded.

She still looked unsure. "But, I can't even wear this outside. People will start to ask questions."

"Then wear it while you're in here," he said as he turned her around to place the necklace around her neck.

"Okay," she said softly, allowing Asuma's hands hook the necklace on her.

The tear that rolled down the prince's face did not escape Kakashi's attention, his heart clenched for his friend. It was wiped away before Kurenai turned around to plant a kiss on his lips.

Seeing the two as happy as they were together brought a smile to his face. "I'm going to head out, Asuma, Kurenai," Kakashi said, walking toward the door.

"Thank you, Kakashi, for making sure he didn't get robbed on his way here," she joked.

He laughed, and so did she. They both knew Asuma could easily hold his own in a fight, being able to keep up with Kakashi Hatake in a swordfight is no easy feat. Honestly, he didn't know why the prince needed so many escorts when going into town, anyway.

"Yes, thank you, Kakashi," Asuma said, clapping his friend on that shoulder. "And if my father asks where I am, tell him I'm running errands."

Kakashi nodded with a smirk and exited through the door and left the two lovers by themselves. He went toward the direction of the castle and recalled the earlier events.

He felt sick.

Asuma hadn't told her the full truth of why he hadn't seen her, and who knows when he would. The prince had been busy the past couple of weeks preparing for his wedding with the princess of Kirigakure. He had been betrothed a couple months ago, and no one knew except for a few people. All of that would change on the day of the tourney, though. Their wedding was going to be announced on the first day and so would his subsequent new position as king of Konoha and the Land of Fire. The upcoming tournament was entertainment as well as a political stunt. The council hoped that the new alliance between the two nations would send the Land of Fire into a state of further peace. It would also solidify the Land of Fire as one of the most powerful nations.

He didn't know what Asuma was going to do about Kurenai, but he knew that the prince loved her more than life itself. Would he keep her as a mistress? Would he ignore her from now on?

Kakashi only wanted happiness for them, but he knew that it would be naive to assume they could be together.

He sighed. He could only wish them the best.

* * *

**Sakura Haruno**

The garden was beautiful. A paradise even.

Each flower and each plant was placed so as to accentuate the scenery around it. It was incredible. The colors danced around her with each blow of the wind.

Itachi had led her to the gardens and left her to herself, claiming he had business to take care of. She didn't really mind. She continued to roam the garden despite his absence, taking in her surroundings.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a grey object. Turning to get better view of it she realized it to be a small statue surrounded by flowers and untrimmed grass. The tree above it draped its leaves across it similar to a curtain.

Sakura moved toward the small statue. The stone depiction of a fox with nine tails sat on top. Hate clearly portrayed in its eyes. The only the way she could correctly describe the place as was a shrine. On it were words she had not seen before. A different language perhaps?

"That's the Kyuubi."

She turned to see Lady Mikoto approach her, dressed in a dark red and black dress with her hair tied back. The older woman's beauty was not lost on Sakura. She was gorgeous.

"Have you heard the legends of the nine tailed beasts?" she asked, flashing a friendly smile.

"Yes," Sakura replied. "The legend states that nine tailed beasts used to roam the lands, wreaking havoc and mayhem on all that stood in their path. The armies of the lands eventually banded together to defeat them."

She nodded in agreement. "You are well learned, Sakura," she praised.

"Thank you, Lady Mikoto."

"So surely you have heard of Madara Uchiha?"

Madara Uchiha. She had heard that name before. The collection of books in her home castle mentioned Madara a few times. None in good light.

"The legend also states that Madara was able to single-handedly control the Kyuubi," Mikoto explained. "That was until Hashirama Senju defeated him in battle. How he defeated that beast is beyond me," she added jokingly. The older woman chuckled as she stood next to Sakura to get a better view of the statue.

Sakura had always assumed the Uchiha regarded Madara very highly. Perhaps she was wrong. Lady Mikoto seemed to have a very nonchalant attitude toward him.

Her eyes traveled back to the inscribed words. "If you don't mind my asking, Lady Mikoto," Sakura began. "What exactly do these words mean?"

"I'm not sure myself, Sakura. This shrine has been here since the castle was built." The older woman put a hand on her chin. "It could just as well be nonsense too."

Would the Uchiha ancestors really have put this shrine here with words on it that were completely nonsensical? For some reason she couldn't help the amused grin that spread across her face from picturing the image of a group of old men standing around, plotting on how to mess with future generations.

Sakura turned her attention back to the lady standing next to her. "This is such a beautiful garden, Lady Mikoto. I'm a bit jealous."

"Jealous?" An amused chuckle escaped her lips. "I've seen the gardens in your castle. There are many exotic plants that I would love to have in here."

"But it's nowhere near the size and wonder of this place," she gestured around her. It truly was beautiful.

"I'm glad you are enjoying it then. Sasuke showed you the way here, I assume?" She asked.

She shook her head. "Itachi did. He has been a wonderful host."

"Oh, I see." An emotion that Sakura couldn't make out flashed across her face.

"I hope Sasuke has been treating you well, too."

Sakura was unsure of how to answer the question. She didn't want to say that her son basically couldn't stand the sight of her. "We haven't talked much," she ended up saying.

"Oh, that's a shame," The older woman commented, seemingly genuinely upset. "Well you are enjoying your stay here, I hope?"

"Yes, Lady Mikoto. I am being treated wonderfully. Everyone is very friendly."

She smiled at her response, her black hair catching the winding and flowing freely. "That is good to hear, Sakura." She turned to leave. "I must be going now. Please spend as much time in the gardens as you wish."

"I will. Thank you." She said giving a slight bow.

* * *

**Neji Hyuga**

The enormous hall was empty save for the Neji and Hiashi. His uncle had summoned him to the throne room. Neji felt the Hyuga banners loom over him, taunting him, knowing that he was trash compared to the man for whom he was bowing. The moonlight that came through the glass windows bathed the two in its luminescence.

"Neji." His uncle's voice was one that demanded respect from whomever heard.

"Yes, uncle?" He said. His head was faced toward the floor and his knee bent.

"When we leave for Konoha, you will accompany us," his uncle spoke.

"Why do you wish for me to attend?" Hiashi was referring to the tournament. Many knights and squires would be accompanying him to Konoha. "I'm sure your safety will be ensured by the knights accompanying you." His head was still down. He knew better than to raise it without his damned uncle's permission.

His uncle scoffed. "You are not for my protection. You are for Hinata's." It was a simple response. "She had recently expressed interest in going, so I granted her permission. You of course will attend as well to bodyguard her."

"Yes, I apologize, uncle. I had not known that Lady Hinata would be attending." His lord uncle had only allowed Hinata to spectate tournaments a handful of times. Neji had assumed that she would not be attending this one either.

"We will be leaving in one week. I have already told the squires and knights that are going to the tourney. Make sure you're ready, as well."

"And what of Hanabi? Will she be attending?"

"She will be joining us to Konoha. She will not watch the tourney though. She is too young." Neji held his tongue, and the older man said nothing more of the matter.

Neji felt the eyes of his uncle boring into his skull. Hiashi's existence was the very reason why his father was dead. Ever since then he had hated the other man, more than anyone.

"Neji," he heard his uncle say. He paused, and Neji waited for what seemed like an eternity for the other man to finish. "What is the Hyuga's motto?"

The words of his house have been passed down through countless generations. The words that supposedly enveloped everything that the Hyugas stood for. "Our eyes see true," he answered. The words tasted rancid in his mouth.

He heard the older man shift slightly. "Our eyes see true," Hiashi repeated almost as just to himself. "You're free to leave," he eventually stated.

Neji lifted himself from the ground and finally met his uncle's eyes. The eyes of his father's murderer—and the eyes of a man who had seen much in his life. Hiashi had lost his wife four years ago while she gave birth to what would have been his only son. His son did not survive the birth either. Neji watched on that day as the ones precious to his uncle died before him in his arms. He felt no joy and yet felt no sadness nor sympathy at the man's loss. If anything he felt a sense of justice. Or maybe he was just telling himself that to cover up a deeper emotion he couldn't quite place.

And then his heart became heavy when he heard the grief-ridden cries of the Hanabi and Hinata. He had said no words of comfort to either of them.

He broke eye contact.

Neji turned and exited the throne room and made his way back to his chambers. He opened his door and saw Hinata's younger sister sitting down on his bed.

She heard him enter and quickly got up and bowed in his direction. "I'm sorry, cousin Neji, I didn't mean to enter without your permission." She apologized earnestly. "I had been waiting for a while, and I didn't think you would mind."

This irked him slightly. Not that she entered his room without his permission but that someone could have seen her enter. The amount of mindless gossip that would go around if someone saw twelve-year-old Hanabi enter Neji Hyuga's room in the dead of night would be too annoying for him to bear, and no doubt his uncle would eventually hear of it.

Hanabi looked as if she knew what he was thinking about and blushed slightly holding her hands up in defense. "Please don't worry. I made sure no one was looking when I entered."

"You're here to see if your father is allowing you to watch the tourney?" Neji asked, sitting on his bed. Hanabi opted to continue standing.

She nodded. Hanabi was very unlike her older sister. She didn't stutter. She didn't twiddle her thumbs. She wasn't bashful and passive. She was assertive and bold. That was why when Neji told her of what her father said, anger flashed in her eyes.

"Why not?" She asked, her words bitter.

"He said you were too young." Hanabi and Hinata were with him when one of the guards came to him relaying that his uncle required his presence. Hanabi had asked him before he left if he would ask her father if she was attending. He had been waiting for at least half an hour before Hiashi had actually arrived.

"But Hinata was able to watch the tournaments when she ten." Neji gave her a sympathetic look, and her anger quelled, though only by a little. "Thank you for asking him for me," she said, bowing again, the exasperation still on her face.

Neji knew how badly Hanabi wanted to see the tournament. He would have tried to convince his uncle to allow her to go, but he knew that it would have been no use and would have only angered him.

She appeared as though she had more to say. "Is there anything else?" He asked patiently and gently, attempting to nudge question out of her.

She stayed silent.

"You can ask me, Hanab—"

"I want you to teach me!"

There was a pause.

"Teach you what?"

"To fight with a sword."

"It is not my place to teach you how to wield a sword. Have you asked your father?"

"He refuses to teach me!"

"Hanabi, if I help you learn to fight, we both could end up facing serious consequences, considering it would be against your father's wishes."

She dropped to her knees in front of him and placed her head on the floor, bowing as deeply as possible. "Please, cousin Neji!" She pleaded from her position on the ground. "If we are caught, then I will take full responsibility."

Neji knew better than to go against his uncle's word. He also knew that it didn't matter if Hanabi claimed that it was her idea. Neji would take the full force of the punishment, and he had no doubt in his mind that it would be a severe one at that. But the thought of defying his uncle in such a way made his blood starting pumping.

"Fine, I—"

"Yes!" she shouted and then instantly put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she mumbled.

The genuine look of happiness over Hanabi's face made him smile in a mixture between satisfaction and pride.

Hanabi's own smile grew wider. "I've never seen you smile," she commented in slight wonderment.

He wondered how long it had been since he had last shown a genuine smile. Days? Weeks? Months? Years? He didn't know. He couldn't remember. It didn't seem that big of a deal to him whether he smiled or not.

"I can't thank you enough, Neji," She said, bowing again.

He was puzzled by her constant show of respect to him. He couldn't help but ask "why do you bow to me so often, Hanabi? The Main Branch should not bow to the Side Branch." He learned this very long ago. Even though he was nephew to Lord Hiashi, himself, no one from the Main Branch ever bowed in his direction. No one except Hinata and Hanabi.

"Then don't think of it like that," she said, the smile still on her face. "Think of it as student to master."

_Student to master_, he thought. "I'll still need to find a place to teach you. It might take a while." He explained.

"As long as I have your word that you will train me," she said with the same boldness as before.

"You have my word."

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

The evening was uneventful for Sasuke, and he was now seated at a wooden table in the grand library, scanning through the book in front of him.

He had once again trained with Shisui to get ready for the tournament in about a two weeks' time. He knew he would do well. Hell, he even thought he could win the entire thing. His movement, reaction, and technique were on par with many of the knights, and better than a good portion.

He, Shisui, and Itachi were called gifted in their abilities. He didn't like that word. The people who said that were ignorant of how much effort he had put into honing his skill. With every swing of his blade, he hoped that he would eventually reach Itachi and Shisui's level, and while at the same time attempt to gain his father's approval.

Sasuke could count how many times his father had praised him throughout his life on one hand. While he would be showered with approval by his mother, he felt as if anything he did was constantly compared to Itachi, and would only earn him a grunt of disinterest from his father. What did he have to do? Destroy an army by himself? It pissed him off to no end.

The sound of footsteps was picked up by his ear. A soft sound, as if in attempt to not disturb the few others in the library. From his position Sasuke could barely see the familiar pink hair through the gap in shelves as she walked through the aisles unaware of his presence. Her form appeared in full sight as she sat down at a table, her back facing him, but not before the flash of a familiar book met his eyes. At least he thought he recognized it, though he couldn't be sure.

Could he go over and ask her what she was reading?

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Sasuke could admit that he hadn't treated the girl fairly. It was just something about her that made him snap at her all those years ago. He was heavily scolded by his mother after she learned about how he treated their guest. His father on the other hand showed disinterest as he always did with Sasuke's affairs.

She stretched her arm out and adjusted her dress.

Sasuke closed the book in front of him, stood up, and walked over to where she was.

"What are you reading?" he asked, shattering the silence.

Sakura jumped slightly and turned to face him, startled and confused by his presence.

"What are you reading?" he asked again. He just wanted to know if she was reading what he thought it was.

Keeping her hand on the page she was on, she turned to the front cover and read aloud, "_Legends and Stories of the Land, Volume 3_. I saw a statue in the gardens today of the Kyuubi, and Lady Mikoto explained to me that Madara was said to have controlled the beast. I wanted to see if it was in this book so I could understand it better."

She had spoken to his mother. Did that bother him? Should it? He honestly couldn't care less about if she spoke with his mother. Or maybe he did. He wondered how often the two communicated with each other, if at all, but either way this wasn't the book for her if she wanted to learn about the Kyuubi and Madara.

"You'll want to look in volume two of the collection," Sasuke offered.

"Oh…thank you,"

The girl seemed to be at a loss of words. Was she uncomfortable talking to him? It didn't surprise him with how little attention he had given her over the past week. The only time he could recall communicating with her albeit very shortly was during the arrival feast for the Harunos. Her incessant staring had irked him and made him irritable, and he snapped at her. The word was harsh when it came out of his mouth and seemed to have the effect he had hoped for.

"Have you read this book before? Is that how you know?" she eventually asked.

"Yes, when I was younger."

He had flitted through the pages of that book when he was a kid and read most of the stories. There were four other books to the collection all littered with different tales, legends, and history. Some were fictional. Some were real. And some he couldn't tell. A few were only passed through word of mouth by ancient tribes of the land before the Uchihas finally transcribed them in this book.

"Oh yes, there were words written on the Kyuubi statue in the garden. Do you happen to know what it means? Do you know if a book has a translation of it?"

She asked a lot of questions. "No one knows what it means. No one has translated those words, yet. I doubt anyone will for a long time." He had also attempted to find the meaning of those words a while ago. Not a single person appeared to know what they meant or who wrote them. "For future reference, the topics in these volumes are divided alphabetically." Sasuke's curiosity was satiated. He would leave the girl alone now. He turned to leave without a second though but didn't get far before the sound of her voice reached his ears again.

"Is there anything interesting in this book?" She asked rather loudly. He turned around. He was beginning to become slightly irritated. "Anything worth reading?"

"No," he answered shortly. He didn't want to spend more time around her than necessary. He interrupted her reading, then he helped her find what she needed. It was a fair trade.

"You're lying," she answered in the same brusque manner as he did.

Sasuke scowled and glared at her, and she glared back not breaking his gaze. He could just walk away right now, but for some reason found himself staying, and finally he responded.

"Life and Death. Page 231. It's a poem. You might enjoy it."

A triumphant smile appeared on her lips. She was an interesting character, he had to admit.

"Thank you" she said before quickly turning around and flipping to the page. There at the top was written 'Life and Death' in bold calligraphy. She then focused all her attention on the text and began reading.

Hadn't she gone to the library to read about the Kyuubi, and yet, here she was reading an old tale that had probably been around forever.

He read that passage so many times. He was able imagine the placement of each word on the page and could recount it easily in is head, word by word. Sasuke noticed the slight change in the angle of her neck that signaled she was on the next page already. She read fast.

Sasuke had bothered her long enough, and he had better things to do. He turned around to exit the library, but felt compelled to turn around one last time. Even though he as looking at her from behind, he was able to slightly see the side of her face and noticed she was still wearing the smile.

It irritated him in a way he couldn't understand.

* * *

_Excerpt from "Life and Death," _Legends and Stories of the Land, Volume 3, _page 231_

_Life was hopelessly in love with Death. All the time she would send him gifts. While she never got a response in return, she continued to send them, in hopes that he would like them. Some taking ten years to reach. Some taking five years to reach. And some taking twenty years to reach._

_The most intricate would take seventy years to reach him. She knew Death loved these gifts the most out of all the others._

_Some days Life would personally deliver a gift to death, telling him as she always would, "I love you, so I got you a gift."_

_Death would say nothing in return but would always accept without hesitation. These gifts would take only seconds to reach Death._

_Sometimes Life would get frustrated at Death and send him unfinished gifts in order to spite him. She would feel bad afterwards because Death would accept them anyway._

_Death loved all her gifts very much. But he was selfish. He would always wait for Life's gifts because he knew they would always come to him eventually. Some would take longer than he expected, but he knew they would reach him._

_Death was selfish and greedy. He knew he was. He would never give her any gifts of his own._

_He always appreciated her gifts._

_He loved them, and he would keep them forever._

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

_Introducing more characters, and this time more lore. I try not to add extraneous things in the story. Nearly everything is important in the long run. Everything._

_I also can't wait to write more interaction between Hanabi and Neji, I feel as if Kishimoto could have gotten nice dialogue between the two of them if he even explored their relationship even a little. And I finally got some interaction between Sasuke and Sakura in here and there will be plenty more!_

_And by the way the Life and Death excerpt was inspired by a comic I read a while ago. I saw it on Reddit but I think it was originally posted on Tumblr. I think if you try hard enough you could find._

_As an important note, I tweaked the ages of the story, using chapter 1 to set for the age of Sasuke. I made him 19. So Sakura and Naruto are 19. Neji is 20. Kakashi is 33, etc. Complications arose with Hanabi. I wanted her to be 12 and not 10 like she originally was. And I also think it would be better if the main characters were around age 19 and 20._

_Thanks for the support so far and for reading! Tell me how I did and review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_So today I realized that I need some text up here or the it'll screw up the formatting below it. So how has everyone's day been? Hope it's been well. Also sorry for the wait._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Revelations**

* * *

_"In this treacherous world, nothing is truth nor a lie._

_Everything depends on the color of the crystal through which one sees it." _

_–Pedro Calderón de la Barca_

* * *

**Shikamaru Nara**

The south of the Land of Fire shared a border with the north side of the city-state of Ame. Still within their own border, that was where Shikamaru was told to make camp and wait for the arrival smaller Amegakure's highborn. So he and one hundred other men, supplied with water and food, made camp and waited for their arrival.

Eventually many of the families started coming to the camp. He took note of each one. Forty-one so far. Most had the entire family, kids, father, and mother. There were fifteen people that came by themselves. They brought no one else, however he still counted them as a family of one for convenience sake. They were mostly young men and women, and when he questioned them on their marital status, five answered widow or widower. These five explained that their spouse was killed in the ensuing chaos that followed the Akatsuki's coup. One had man told him through a broken voice that his entire family was killed because he had worked too closely to Hanzo. A victim of circumstance.

Shikamaru continued to make rounds in the camp checking up on the new arrivals. It was getting late and the moon was already out, he would be retiring to his quarters soon, but he need to make sure to gather as much information as possible from each person that entered the camp.

From what he had learned their homes were stripped and given to the Akatsuki. All of the monetary possessions that they had were no longer theirs. Their land, their jewels, their gold, their silver, all belonged to the Akatsuki now.

"Captain Shikamaru," one of the soldiers said walking up to him. "More citizens from Ame have just arrived."

There had been a lull in their arrival. He had assumed that no one else was coming since the last group arrived two days ago. "Take me to them," he replied. The soldier bowed his head and led Shikamaru near the outskirts of the camp.

There was a good bit of people huddled together, men, women, and children, all whispering to each other, worry and concern on their face. He looked over them with a calculating gaze. Thirty-two he counted. This was the most that had arrived at one time. The others had normally come in groups of four or five.

"Please! Would you all break apart into families! It will be easier to sort you out that way!" Shikamaru shouted.

The crowd began to shuffle into groups, creating space with each other. Kids clung to their parents. Couples stayed near each other. And like before, there was a few who were alone. He watched one of his soldiers come with a table and chair and placed them in front of Shikamaru so that he was overlooking the crowd. Another soldier placed a bottle of ink, a quill, and a long sheet of paper on the table for him.

He sat down in the chair and looked at the crowd. "Now, let's get this over with. I'm tired just like I'm sure most of you are," he announced from his spot. The crowd looked confused as one of the soldiers ushered a group of three towards him.

"Family name?" Shikamaru asked, dipping the quill into the bottle of black ink.

"Matoke," the man the group said, gruffly.

Shikamaru nodded and wrote the answer on the paper. "Wealth on you?" he asked, his eyes moving to the paper to write the response. He looked up when a response didn't come. The man stared back at him with his eyes squinted in suspicion.

"Why?"

"We need to keep a record all the money that enters the camp," Shikamaru answered back with an unbreaking gaze.

The man looked at his wife and child. The woman gave him a reassuring pat on the arm; the small child clung to her leg. He hesitated before saying "Thirty gold pieces, three silvers, and a copper." His hand clenched at his side. "They cleaned us out!" He seethed. "This is all we had left! Thirty damn gold pieces!"

Shikamaru couldn't really sympathize with the man's plight. He had never been nobility. Prince Asuma had taken notice in the young merchant boy and took him under his wing. He was a squire under the prince and two years ago at the age of seventeen was knighted. From there his intellect had made him known throughout the knights of Konoha. Shikamaru came from a background where his mother and father made around ten gold pieces per month. The family in front him once owned a large house, no doubt, with servants that worked for them, and land to spare. Thirty gold pieces was probably less than one percent of what they actually owned. Well, he supposed now it was all they owned.

"Have there been any deaths in your immediate family since the uprising happened?" He continued to ask, looking from the little girl to the woman and back to the man. He had asked this question many times before, and he had gotten different reactions nearly every instance.

"No, there has not. It's always been just us," he answered, wrapping his arms around the woman and girl.

"Good," he responded, and he meant it. No deaths. "Okay, I just needed to know those three things. Go to the western side camp and one of the officers will escort you to the tent you will be staying in." Shikamaru pointed where they needed to go.

The other male nodded and with his family he left.

By now, the officers had five more tables to speed up the process. There were only a couple of groups left now, and Shikamaru watched as one that consisted of only a man and woman, probably no older than he was, walk up to him. Their blonde hair caught the moonlight.

"Family name?" he asked, getting straight to business.

"Itami," the woman responded. The man didn't say anything.

"How much wealth do you have on you?"

"A gold piece."

"Have there been any deaths in the immediate family since the uprising began?"

"No."

Shikamaru finished writing the responses. The man had yet to look at him, instead his eyes seemed to wander around as if he were trying to find something. But then again, it was late, and he was tired.

"Are we finished?" The blonde woman asked, her impatience evident.

"Yes that's everything," Shikamaru said and pointed to the direction he sent the other family. "Go over there and some of the officers will direct you to the tent you'll be sleeping in."

The two spun sharply and walked away. He turned to look at their retreating forms and noticed the man was still looking around the camp. Shikamaru shook his head in confusion.

The last group was picked up by another officer. They were finished, and he was glad for it. After the last family left, he went by and collected all their sheets of paper. "Good work," Shikamaru praised. "Quick and efficient."

One of the knights laughed, a big fellow with a beard that complimented his size, Choza Akimichi. Father to his best friend. He had known them both for a long time. Ever since he was first brought to the castle to train under the prince, Choza made sure that he was taken care of. "We want to get out of here as much as you do, Captain," he stated, a small smirk on his face.

"Maybe," Shikamaru said grinning a little. "Let's move these tables and chairs back into the tent." They picked up the small tables and put them in the supply tent along with the chairs. Shikamaru yawned and bid them farewell as he went retire for the night.

He pushed aside the curtains to his personal quarter, and sat down at the mahogany desk next to his bed, placing the papers on it. Grabbing the quill and ink bottle, he tallied up the money on a separate sheet. He moved on to the number deceased in the families, and lastly, he listed all the family names. Only a few stood out to him, nobles that Lord Danzo said to keep an eye out for.

Depending on how soon new people would arrive, they would head out soon. Danzo said to use his own discretion in determining when to leave. He had been camped here for almost a fortnight. From what he understood from the Ame nobility around camp is that many of the higher class were executed, and those close to Hanzo were shown no mercy, tortured, beaten, then killed.

"How did all this even happen? What was the spark?" he had asked one of the younger nobles, Kurou Yamada, earlier that week. He was one of the first to arrive and his eyes burned with fire as he answered.

"Those damn peasants and merchants don't know their place!" He had seethed. "They complain about higher taxes, and yet the money is used to help Amegakure!"

"But surely that's not all," Shikamaru calmly responded. He knew it wasn't. The amount of violence in the revolts couldn't have been caused by simple taxes, could they? "What about Hanzo? I had heard that he was seizing property of the lower class."

"Hanzo was a sickly, old fool, who was about to die anyway. The ruling family would have been replaced on his death!" He had responded heatedly. Shikamaru highly doubted that there would have been a replacement. Hanzo's lineage had been ruling Ame for centuries.

Shikamaru had watched as the other man put his face in his hands, his head down in exhaustion or defeat. "You know," he started, voice no longer angered, but hushed in what seemed like melancholy, "When I had first heard of these rebellions, I had thought nothing of it. Who would? But then one of my closest friends was killed." He laughed a mirthless laugh, one filled with nothing. Hollow. "That's when I knew it was real. That it could happen to my friends and family. 'The soldiers will put them down' I thought. But then most of the soldiers betrayed their king and joined in the rebellion. Knights who swore loyalty to Hanzo, took up arms against him. Do you know how scary of a feeling that is? That the only people who would protect you, are now against you. That anyone could attack you with impunity if they chose to. It's gut-wrenching.

"One day I saw from my window that the city square was filled with people, the treacherous knights that abandoned us, the merchants, and the peasants all demanding change, screaming it at the top of their lungs, pitchfork, spears, and swords in their hands. And at the front stood these three people clad in…long, shadowy cloaks with red clouds on them. They stood against the knights still loyal to King Hanzo, still trying to protect us. Then all hell broke loose. The rebels ran toward the Hanzo's men. I could see there was no hope. They were vastly outnumbered. For everyone one soldier, the rebels had four. I left that day and made my way here.

"It's so surreal, you know? To realize that the place you grew up was no longer yours. That your possessions you had since you were a kid were gone. This thing you guys did. Helping us out. Many people didn't believe it and stayed in the city. I can't even imagine what happened to them and many of the people who have arrived have lost ones they loved. Parents without their children. Children without their mother or father. Or men and women all alone now, their spouses and children killed. It's…it's sickening."

Shikamaru had not known what to say. Could he have said anything that would be comforting? Attempt to fill him with false hope and tell him everything will be okay in the end?

"But…" he had said wiping his tears. "I suppose I'm one of the lucky ones. I haven't fallen in love. I haven't married. I haven't had any kids. I don't know the pain of seeing your spouse or child killed in front of you."

The man had told him his story of what happened in Ame. Shikamaru had been thankful that he had some perspective as to what happened.

He took of his leather padded armor and his boots and placed his sword near his bedside. How could the situation in Ame get so bad? Is a bad king all that's needed? Maybe it was.

He laid on his bed and eventually found himself closing his eyes. Welcoming sleep as it took him.

His eyes shot open.

The faint sound of feet stepping on dead leaves penetrated his ear. A twig snapping. It was too late in the night. Those taking watch should be on the outskirts of the camp. Are they changing shifts? No, the soldiers' quarters aren't near his. Perhaps it was an animal? He got out of his bed and listened closer. He heard whispering. At least he thought he did. He backed away slowly, thinking of what it could it be. Was someone creeping around camp?

The entrance curtains flew open and the blonde girl from earlier rushed him. Her sword thrusted towards him. He reached for his sheathed sword and deflected her blade. She kicked him in the stomach and sent him backwards into the desk. She drew a knife and tried to slam it down on him, but he used the butt of the sheath to strike her hand, sending the dagger to the ground.

It was too cramping.

He couldn't swing his sword effectively in such close quarters, and he had still yet to draw it. He needed to get outside! The incoming slash from her blade was blocked by his sheathe again. He had no room. A bed to his left, the side of the tent to his right, a desk to his back, and an assassin at his front. He needed to draw his sword! He blocked another slash but this time she didn't let up. She pushed on him, his body bending over the desk behind him. He was in a terrible position. No balance. No leverage. He could barely push back—and his sword was still sheathed.

He looked to the entrance in hopes of formulating some escape plan, and his stomach dropped. Standing there was her male companion from earlier, guarding the entrance, and he locked eyes with Shikamaru. He moved from entrance towards him drawing his sword. Shikamaru mustered his strength and pushed her off him, sending her back. She stumbled a few feet before the man caught her. They took a step forward readying their swords. He couldn't fend them both off. He would die here.

"Long live the Akatsuki," the blonde said softly, taking another step.

Her partner grunted in pain as Shikamaru watched a blade ram through the man's stomach. The sword pulled back, and he was pushed onto the foot the bed, blood pouring from his wound. "You two aren't very good assassins, are you?" It was Choza, his face knitted in fury.

"Haru!" the woman shouted. Shikamaru without hesitating struck the sides of her knee with his leg and watched it bend sideways as she crumpled to the ground. She moaned in pain as she held her injured leg.

"Are you all right, Shikamaru?" Choza asked him.

The blood was pounding in his ear, and he could feel his heart hitting against his chest. He took deep breaths. "Yeah, I'm fine," he responded.

"What do you want done with them?" Choza asked, looking at the two on the ground.

Shikamaru stepped over the woman and moved to the front of the entrance next to Choza. "We'll interrogate them and bring them to Konoha." He looked back at the assassins.

"Haru…" the young woman groaned, crawling toward the man now slouched in front of the bed.

It looked as though it took all the man's strength to look at her and mutter, "Inori," in his strained, chocked voice.

"What about him?" Choza questioned. "He isn't making it back."

The woman frantically put a hand over the wound, trying in vain to prevent blood from escaping.

Choza was right. The man wouldn't reach Konoha. His fate was already sealed. He would suffer, bleed out, then die. "I will kill him," came Shikamaru's blunt words.

"As you wish," Choza said handing Shikamaru his sword.

"No!" the young blonde pleaded. "Please no! Don't!" she begged, tears welling in her eyes.

Choza shoved her off the man and threw him to the ground near the entrance. Shikamaru saw him look up, and they locked eyes.

"Please!" She begged, her voice cracking. "Please…"

Shikamaru paid no attention to her words. He took his sword and plunged it through the man's heart, feeling it push through tissue and bone. The life extinguished from his eyes as he removed the blade. The beating in his chest did not cease. He hadn't been a knight for too long. He wasn't battle-hardened like many of the older soldiers here. This was his first kill, and he could barely keep his hands from trembling.

The young woman crawled through the bloodied floor over to the man and wrapped her arms around his body, sobbing into his shoulder. "No" she kept repeating, as if to change the reality of what happened. She was painted in blood.

Choza grabbed her by the collar and forced her to her feet. "Let's go!" he commanded dragging her out of the tent still sobbing.

Shikamaru's eyes couldn't leave the dead man at his feet.

* * *

**Kakashi Hatake**

Guy, Yamato, Himself, Genma Shiranui, Ibiki Moreno, and Shikaku Nara, the six of them were handpicked by King Hiruzen to serve as his personal guard and regarded by all as some of the best knights Konoha had, if not _the _best. When on duty they wore a dark green armor plating trimmed with a dark green, with cape of the same shade of green bordered with a fiery red. But now they sat in their casual clothing around a table.

Kakashi had called them together so that they could discuss this and next week's plans. Konoha had been very busy this past month. Many preparations had to be complete for the upcoming tournament beginning in only a week's time. The housing for the nobles and everyone involved had to be taken care of. Equipment needed to be purchased. Safety of the king also had to be considered. Kakashi could never be too sure who would be showing up and who would want to harm the king. He needed to make sure nothing of the sort could happen.

"The tourney begins next week. The king's safety is important," Kakashi said as he leaned in his chair. "We haven't had a problem before, but I still want to be safe. I want at least two of us to be with him at all times, no exceptions." There was a mutter of agreement, and so he continued. "Also, we've gotten letters from the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, the Land of Water, saying that many of their squires and anyone they deemed worthy of enough will be attending the tourney. And even some of the smaller nations will be sending in contestants."

"How many people will be attending? Do we have a concrete number, yet?" Shikaku asked.

"From the letters I've gotten confirming attendance, I estimate over a six hundred participants."

He heard a whistle of impress come from Genma, "That's a hell of a lot of people." Genma commented. "Will we have enough rooming accommodations for all of them?"

"Yes, the king had Homura rent out the inns in the city, and the more important families will stay in the castle," answered Kakashi. "The Hyugas, and Uchihas to name a few. The Harunos, as well."

"The Hyugas and Uchihas under the same roof. That will be an interesting thing to see," Ibiki chimed in, crossing his arms, a frown on his face.

"It will be fine," Kakashi reassured. "The two might have some tension between them, but nothing has turned violent, yet. Just little disputes here and there."

"I agree. I don't think it's anything to fear," Shikaku added. "Besides, I'm sure they know better than to start an altercation within the king's castle."

"If they do they'll have us to answer to," Kakashi replied.

An enormous smile grew on Guy's face. "I'm almost hoping they will! I would love to go up against Itachi!" he shouted from his spot. "Such an empowerment of youth, that man!"

"I would hardly consider Itachi a youth anymore, Guy. You're only a couple of years older than him." Yamato commented.

"But he was so young when he won his first tourney!" Guy responded enthusiastically. "All young squires should look to Itachi as inspiration to do well!"

Kakashi remembered the day he watched Itachi win his first tournament. He was only fifteen when he had done so. He was able to beat squires in their late teens and early twenties, with ease. A fifteen-year-old not fully developed was able to beat all competition. People called it a fluke, and to prove Itachi's worth, Fugaku had signed him up for the next two tourneys as well. He won them all with the same proficiency as the first. King Hiruzen was so impressed with his performance, he knighted him the following week, marking Itachi the youngest person King Hiruzen had ever knighted. Itachi was one of the best fighter Kakashi had ever seen.

"Yes, I believe we all agree that Itachi Uchiha definitely knows his way around a sword, but I'd like to get the discussion back on topic, please," Shikaku said simply.

"Shikaku, your son is very adept fighter, as well!" Guy shouted, giving the other man a thumbs up. "Very smart and very skilled! And already leading a company of men to the outskirts of the country at the age of nineteen! That's impressive!"

Shikaku couldn't hold back his prideful smirk "Yes, but he's still one of the laziest people I know."

"Nonsense! His knowledge is astounding!"

"All right, guys, let's get back on topic," Kakashi said reverting the conversation. They gave an acknowledging grunt. He cleared his throat. "We need to make sure we have guards posted at all major sites within the village. We need to have eyes in all important places."

He continued to deliberate with the group of men around him. He needed to make sure he didn't miss anything important. They spoke about the amount of soldiers each would command in case of an emergency, safety precautions during the tourney, and things alike.

"And lastly, at the opening ceremony Asuma's wedding with Princess Mei will be announced. Everything must go as planned during this ceremony. No screw ups," he stated. He had no doubt that the announcement would receive questioning glares from the other nations and their kings. Their reaction could determine the atmosphere for the tourney. The tourney will be revealed to be a celebration of the newly betrothed. Their wedding would take place a month afterwards.

"I still don't understand why it has to be a surprise to everyone, especially the leaders of the other lands," Genma questioned.

Kakashi had indeed asked the king of the reason behind this. "The king's reply was 'to gauge genuine reactions' to the news. He reasoned that if he were to have sent a letter to the nations he would not have gotten to see an actual reaction by the leaders who were attending. He wants to know who will rejoice and who will curse."

"Kings and queens know how to mask the emotions on their faces excellently. They're trained to do so," Yamato stated.

"But even the slightest twitch can convey a flood of emotion," Shikaku countered. "I think it is a fine idea. The nobles will be easier to gauge anyway. I'll be sure to take note."

Kakashi nodded. "As should the rest of you. We're about done, now. Are there any questions?"

No one spoke.

"Let's not slack this week. The tourney is approaching quickly. You're free to leave."

.

.

.

Kakashi walked in the opposite direction of his chambers to the eastern tower. He eventually reached a door and gave it a light rap with his knuckles. He heard it unlock, and it creaked open, revealing the man that had wanted to speak with him earlier that day.

"Come in, Sir Kakashi," came his distinctive, ophidian voice.

He walked through door and let it close behind him. "What did you summon me for, Orochimaru?" he asked. The room was lit in a faint candle light that reflected easily off the vials and bottles with unknown liquids and the man's seemingly unnaturally pale skin. He didn't know much of the person in front of him. He had seen him countless times, talked with him on plenty occasions, but throughout all those interactions, he could confidently say that Orochimaru was a complete mystery to him. What he did know was that he was under the tutelage of king decades ago, but refused the title of knight. Why he didn't was lost to Kakashi.

"I have reason to believe that the Akatsuki are plotting something against Konoha this coming week."

"The Akatsuki? The rebel group from Ame? That's rather abrupt don't you believe?"

"They are not rebels anymore. They are the ruling body now." Orochimaru said simply. "And they have command of an army."

"Surely you do not suggest that the Akatsuki will launch an invasion of the Land of Fire,"

"It's possible."

"There army would pale in comparison to ours. There is nothing to fear."

"But what about an army supported by one of the Great Nations? Surely that's something to fear." Orochimaru grew an unseemly smile. "You should probably keep a close eye on the participants from the Land of Earth."

His eyes narrowed at the statement. "You think that Earth Country means to do us harm? This tourney is a chance for every nation to come together in peace and enjoy themselves. I don't expect any of them to betray our trust."

"Which is why there is a chance they will. Not everyone shares your optimistic sentiment, Sir Kakashi."

"This is a bold claim, Orochimaru. You mean to tell me that Ame and the Land of Earth will declare war against us?"

"I don't expect you to believe me, of course."

"Do you blame me?" Kakashi was skeptical his claims. Would one the nations truly wage war after nearly fifteen years of peace and throw their lands into chaos once again? "Do not play games with me, Orochimaru," Kakashi said evenly.

He laughed in response. "I assure you that Danzo isn't the only one with ears and eyes in other lands, Sir Kakashi. And I have already spoken with him about this matter, and he has heard rumors as well."

"And have you told the king of this?" Kakashi asked, still unsure of whether to believe the snake.

Orochimaru took a step forward. "Why would I do that when I am not absolutely certain? The king is old. No need to trouble his heart with this news," he said grinning.

"The king may be old but he's still capable of much. You of all people should know this. Now should I tell the king, or will you?"

The other man let out a raspy chuckle. "I believe that if it must be so, then he should probably hear it from you, captain of his guard. Tell him war may be coming soon."

"I will tell him of a rumor I heard of it. Nothing more."

"And what happens if turns out to be true." Orochimaru took another step forward. It was as if he was challenging him, testing to see how he'll respond, how he'd react given the information brought before him.

He could not believe a war could start so suddenly with no cause or explanation. And Kakashi was growing impatient. "You would have me deploy troops based on hearsay?"

"You can do as you please. I'm simply passing on information Danzo and I heard."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I believe we're done. I'll be sure to tell the king of this when I see him." He turned on his heels and made way for the door.

"And one more thing, Kakashi," came his raspy voice. "That woman Prince Asuma has been seeing, Kurenai I believe it was." Kakashi stomach dropped and his heart pounded against his chest. How had he managed to figure out? He and Asuma made sure to be as thoroughly discreet as possible. Where had they slipped up? "Danzo knows of her."

Those four words made his Kakashi clench his fists. He feared for her safety now. He had no clue what Danzo would do, but he feared the worst. "It doesn't matter." He knew it did. "Many kings have affairs with mistresses. Asuma will still do his duty to the land."

"I can believe that but will Danzo?" Orochimaru questioned, his mouth tilting up.

His heart beat faster. Of course Danzo wouldn't. Or at least he wouldn't take that risk. He would try to get rid of the 'problem' before it grew out of control. "And why are you telling me this?" he couldn't help but ask.

"A friendly warning."

"Don't make me laugh, Orochimaru," his face held no sense of mirth. He held his stare with the older man.

The snake's smile disappeared and was replaced with a cold, dead stare. One that would send chills through any lesser man. "I have my reasons," came his only response.

* * *

**Neji Hyuga**

"A firmer stance, Hanabi. Position your feet the same width as your shoulders," Neji commanded, kicking her feet to the desired location.

Hanabi swung the wooden sword down again. Sixty swings so far. Neji could see her arms shaking as she held the wooden sword.

She brought her eightieth swing down. "Don't let your fatigue show. It will only give the enemy more motivation to kill you."

She took a deep breath and adjusted again. Hanabi swung the sword with a more commanding posture. She finally brought her one hundredth swing down and let out an exasperated sigh. Her arms fell to her side, hand still clenching her sword.

It was their third training session, and Hanabi had already vastly improved since their first meeting. She was a quick learner. Whenever he would give her advice or a problem to fix, she would have it down after three or four more tries. She absorbed his information easily.

Neji watched as she set the wooden sword against the wall and sat down, lowering herself using her shaking arms. She sprawled her legs out.

"Why can't I use a real sword to practice with?" Hanabi asked after she took a sip of water from her canteen.

"A real sword weighs much more than a wooden one. I want you to use a wooden sword to strengthen yourself and then we will switch to an actual one," Neji answered.

She took another gulp and eventually asked, "Will we be able to practice in Konoha?" She shook her head at her own question. "I think I already know the answer. We leave tomorrow, and I just… don't want to lose everything I've learned."

Neji felt a faint sense of pride swell up within him. "I'll see what I can do when we get there." He wasn't sure if they would ever rid of themselves of prying eyes when they were in Konoha, but he would do his best to look for a location.

They were currently in one of the many fighting dojos that could be found in the castle. It was long into the night when they had arrived. The entire castle was asleep, so it was the best time to practice with his younger cousin. Neji was taking a chance in teaching Hanabi, and he wasn't sure if it was to spite his uncle or to grant Hanabi her wish. Probably a little of both. Or perhaps it was the thrill involved in it.

They would be in Konoha for around three weeks. As well as the tournament, his uncle had business to take care of. Whatever that meant, it warranted them staying in Konoha for an extra week after the tourney concluded. He was sure that he would have at least a little bit of free time since he would not be participating. Side Branch members were never allowed to compete in competitions like tourneys. The Main Branch were the ones who took the fame. The Hyuga made sure of it.

The amount of time he would have depended entirely on what Hinata wished. As of now, she still did not that he was teaching Hanabi how to fight with a sword, and he was still unsure of how she would react. Neji couldn't imagine her being anything but supportive due to her nature. He didn't want to take that risk though.

"I never understood, Neji. Where did you learn to fight so well?" Hanabi asked, tilting her head to the side.

Neji closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "The Side Branch are taught whenever they are old enough to pick up a sword, so I was taught at a young age."

"But I've seen them fight. You're much better than them," Hanabi commented and smirked. "You're probably could beat many of father's knights too. I'm sure you would be a knight if you weren't part of the…Side…" Hanabi's words faded away, and she her mouth formed into a firm line, as if she broke an unspoken rule between them.

"Don't be ashamed for stating what is true. I cannot be a knight because I am part of the Side Branch. Even if your father wanted to knight me, I would refuse."

Confusion ran across her face. "Why wouldn't you want to be a knight? Isn't that every boy's dream? Every boy I've talked to seems to want to be one."

"That's because they are still young."

Hanabi looked like she was waiting for more, but stopped when it was evident that he would say nothing else.

"I'd like to be a knight," she mused.

Neji felt a faint tug in his chest. Neji knew that his she would be nothing more than a wife for a lord. She could aspire to be much more, but the harsh reality was that she was destined to bear that lord's children. Hinata was an exception though. His uncle had no male heir, which meant that when he died, Hinata would take his spot as head of Hyugas. The higher-ups within the House would make sure she would be married to someone that would allow political connections with another house, but she would still have the final say in any matter she chose.

Hanabi was a tool to be used by the Hyuga to ensure that the house stayed in its position of power. He didn't know if Hanabi knew the life that awaited her, but she was smarter than he had originally given her credit for, adjusting to everything he said to near perfection. He looked at her, and her eyes were fixated on the wall opposite them.

"If I could change the Hyuga, I would Neji." She didn't look at him.

There was a lingering silence between them before Neji finally spoke softly, "Keep those thoughts to yourself, Hanabi."

She turned and locked eyes with him. Fiery eyes unsatisfied with his response. "The Side Branch doesn't deserve to be treated the way it does."

He didn't understand Hinata and Hanabi's stance on this subject. They only stood to benefit from the position the Side Branch was in. And yet, the both had a problem with it. He wondered why. That strange sense of pride showed up before intensified within.

"Stand," he said pushing himself to his feet. Hanabi followed suit and grasped the wooden sword while Neji reached for his own. At the end of each session, they would spar with each other. First to three hits and then they would be done. Neji won the other two times definitively of course, but with each hit he landed, he could see Hanabi realizing what she had done wrong and attempting to fix it.

Neji took his stance and so did Hanabi. "Ready?" He asked, smirking.

"Yes."

He nodded and swung his sword.

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

The forest was welcoming. He hadn't roamed these trees in a few weeks and enjoyed every moment he spent out here. He sat with his back to a tree, his bow and quiver next to him. The only sounds being the hum of insects, the whistling of the birds, and the tree leaves rustling in the wind. The signs of autumn had been more evident than ever. Many of these leaves had already began changing their color.

His attention turned to the pink-haired girl sitting next to him. She was supposed to leave a week ago, but now the Harunos would be going with them to Konoha. Sasuke had not known this, but it had made sense with each passing day they remained within the Uchiha's castle. last couple of weeks had been hectic with preparations, so he was glad that he could make it out to the forest one last time before they left for Konoha—even if Sakura was currently with him.

What he had thought would be only a week's stay turned into nearly a month. Every instance where he saw his mother, Mebuki Haruno seemed to be with her, always walking together. Even both Itachi and Shisui had grown accustom to Sakura and spent a great deal of time with her.

He turned to look at the pink-haired girl. Her eyes were closed as she sat next to him. Her normal elegant attire replaced with trousers and a short bodice bounded with a corset. He stared back at the forest. Itachi and Shisui had insisted he take her into the forest with him and hunt, much to his protest. She would do nothing but anchor him down, but he eventually conceded to get them to stop pestering him. As the two of them were leaving the walls of the castle, he turned back to see Shisui flash a stupid grin and give him a wink. He had huffed and turned back around. They had probably walked for an hour before Sasuke noticed Sakura's gait changing. Her steps were clumsier and more deliberate. She was getting tired, but no complaint escaped her lips. Sasuke still found it necessary to stop and take a rest, even though by himself he could go on for much, much longer.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to look at the girl. She said nothing and only pointed.

He narrowed his eyes to see where she was directing his attention.

"Rabbit under the bush next to that tree," Sakura explained softly.

Sasuke looked to the bush and sure enough, he saw the small haunches of a rabbit poking out from under it. He had to admit that it impressed him that she was able to spot the animal from so far away.

Wasting no time, he grabbed his bow and an arrow from his quiver. He rose to his feet and lined up the shot. Confident in his ability, he made no motion to move forward in an attempt to get a better aim. The rabbit's head stuck out from under the bush, and he knew he could waste no more time before it scampered off. He let his arrow fly and watched as it whizzed through the air.

The rabbit's sharp yelp reached his ear, and he knew it was a hit. He picked up his quiver and gestured for Sakura to follow him. They reached the dead animal, and Sasuke removed the arrow from its body, making sure not to cause any unnecessary damage.

"Nice shot," Sakura commented from next to him.

Sasuke wasn't impressed however. "It could have been better," he replied. It wasn't as clean as it could have been, but it would have to do. He put the carcass in his game bag and looked around to see where they would be going next. He could keep going deeper, or he could turn back to the castle. But it was his first kill of the day and he wanted to keep going, but he was unsure of Sakura's limits. If anything happened to her, his family would never let him live it down.

"Sakura," he said.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go back?" He would let her decide whether they would return to the castle or not.

A slightly perplexed look spread across her face. "Do we need to?" She asked. "The sun is still up."

"I normally start heading back when the sun starts to set. We will go back if you need to though," Sasuke offered.

Her response was firm. "No."

Sasuke locked his eyes with her. It was not the response he had expected, and she continued to surprise him with every interaction they had. "Okay, then." He started walking deeper into the forest. Sakura quickly ran up beside him and matched his pace.

He knew that they would have a couple more hours of daylight left, so he was secretly grateful that she chose to keep going. He didn't want to return to the castle yet.

After about another hour, they had eventually reached the stream and crossed it using the fallen tree Sasuke had placed there long ago, still sturdy enough to support both of them. Sakura showed no hesitation when he said that they would be using it to cross the slow-moving water. She moved across it with ease and landed rather gracefully on the opposite side.

More time had passed before he eventually had shot another rabbit. He was placing the animal in his bag when Sakura asked nonchalantly, "So is there anything to keep in mind when hunting?"

Sasuke shot her a questioning glance.

"I don't want to be walking in silence, and I'm just curious." She shrugged.

"If we talk it will scare away the animals," he replied simply.

She frowned. "What if we talk softly?"

"Most animals have much better hearing than we do, so it won't matter much."

Her mouth opened as if to say something, but she closed it and continued walking with him.

Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to hear his mother or Itachi scold him about not speaking with Sakura. But could they blame him? He never wanted her come along. He conceded. "What do you want to talk about?"

She shook her head. "No, it's fine," she said. "You make a good point, anyway." He wasn't sure if she was being passive aggressive or actually agreed with him, and it irked him to no end.

His head shot to the left as heard a faint rustle. In the distance obscured by foliage and tree leaves, he saw the familiar antlers and body of a deer. He motioned for Sakura to stop, but her eyes were already locked on the wild animal.

"I see it, too," she said quietly.

He placed an arrow on the bowstring and moved slightly to get a better line of sight of the animal. He took a deep breath. Sasuke pulled back and shot the arrow. It plunged through the skull of the deer with a resounding crack. A better kill than before.

"Will we be carrying this back with us?" Sakura questioned when they moved next to the lifeless deer. The annoyance in her voice at the prospect of hauling the large deer back did not go unnoticed to him. He didn't blame her either. It would be crazy to even attempt to carry this all the way to the castle with only him and Sakura.

"I just planned on skinning it. It would be nearly impossible to bring the entire deer." He wasted no time. He withdrew a knife from his pouch and started the process with a small incision at its base.

He was glad he had aimed as well as he did. It meant the pelt would be undamaged, no unseemly holes that would need to be patched later.

Sasuke made quick work of the animal, he gutted it and created cuts near the hooves. He peeled the skin back, making delicate incisions as he pulled. He stopped at the deer's neck and cut the skin loose.

It had been a long time since he had last skinned an animal. It still turned out nicely though. Ideally he would have saved the meat and brought it with him, but he was fine with today's catch, two rabbits and a pelt. It could have been better, but he wouldn't complain.

Sasuke slung the somewhat bloody pelt over his shoulder. "We'll leave the body here." Skinning the animal had taken some time. The sun was getting ready to set, and he didn't want to navigate the forest at night even with moonlight.

"Let's start heading back," Sasuke said, placing the knife back in his pouch.

She didn't answer right away and looked as though she was going to protest. "Okay," she ended up muttering. Sakura stood from her spot, and her eyes wandered to his shoulder. "What do you plan to do with the pelt?" she asked as they began their walk.

"I don't know yet. Maybe make a fur cloak for when winter comes," he replied.

Their trek back to the castle was silent. When they had finally crossed the stream, the sky was already painted a colorful orange, and the first sign of nocturnal animals started appearing.

"Earlier you asked if there was anything to keep in mind while hunting," Sasuke said, still looking forward. The sound of the moving water faintly registering in his ear. "Was there anything specific you wanted to know?" He reluctantly asked the question. He knew that she was trying to strike up conversation before, but they were hunting at the point. Talking needed to be kept to a minimum. But now since they were finished, he supposed he could humor her.

She looked surprised. "I thought we weren't supposed to speak?"

"It doesn't matter if animals flee from us now. I'm done hunting for today."

She was silent for a bit, and Sasuke wondered if he had misspoken.

"Who taught you to hunt?"

"That's not a question about advice."

Her voice trailed as she added, "I'm just curious…"

He was silent for a second. "Itachi and Shisui, mainly Itachi," he answered.

"…When did you start learning?"

"When I was eight."

There was silence again.

"This isn't about hunting, but do you know how many people will be participating in the tourney?"

"From what my father has said, well over five hundred."

"That's so many people, and not to mention their families and spectators, too. It will be my first time seeing that many in one place." Sasuke looked at her, silently asking her to expound. "My father rarely lets me leave our castle town. The only places I've seen are my family's castle, this castle, and the two times I went to Konoha, but I was so young then. I have no recollection of it at all. My father had originally planned on sending me back home with a few knights, but Itachi was able to convince him to let me watch the tourney." So Itachi was the reason Sakura was still here. It shouldn't come as a surprise to him. Those two spent a lot of time together. "So, I'm excited because it's my first one. There should be over a thousand people watching, right?"

Including all the spectators and the participants' families it would be quite a turnout, so he nodded. Sasuke had never really thought about that before. It was overwhelming to think about. And when the tourney decreased to only a few people left, there will be even more who watch. Bets will be placed on who will come out on top, and who will be second, and who will be third.

He remembered when he watched Itachi win his first tourney. His father acquired a sizable amount of coin betting on Itachi winning, and he was right. Itachi had won with ease, much to the surprise of everyone there.

He wondered if his father would bet on him.

"I think you'll do well," Sakura said. She paused before she continued. "I saw you spar with Shisui the night of the feast. You handled your sword really well, more so than many of the knights I've seen." A smile grew on her face. "I'm sure you will win the tourney with no problem." She continued. "Are you nervous?"

"For the tourney?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not," he lied. Truth is, his heart beat harder and faster whenever he thought about it, but that didn't mean he wasn't confident in his skills.

By the time they broke the tree line the stars were dotting the sky, and the moon shined its light on the field separating the castle and the forest. When they entered the castle walls, the guards greeted them with respectful bow and went back to their duties.

"It must be pretty late, seeing how there's no one out," Sakura commented from beside him.

He grunted in acknowledgement.

The two eventually reached the castle's keep where his family resided and where the Harunos were being housed. Sakura turned to him. "Thank you for bringing me with you today, Sasuke." Her face gleamed with a faint outline of sweat, and her hair was disheveled. He had expected the day to have gone differently. He didn't think she would stay with him for as long as she did and fully expected her to start complaining to go back the moment they had reached the forest, or when her feet started to hurt. He was wrong. She had carried her weight surprisingly well for her first time hunting. "That was my first time in a forest."

"Really?" That surprised him. He had assumed everyone had done so at least once.

She gave a light grin as her cheeks turned a darker shade of red. "My father is very protective." That explains it. "I hope we can do it again sometime."

He nodded. "We'll see."

They parted ways, and Sasuke walked to the kitchens. Luckily the head chef was still there cleaning up. He deposited the two rabbits and asked if they could be salted and preserved.

"Of course," he responded. "I can also take the pelt from you. I'll salt it tonight, and you can pick it up tomorrow."

"I would like that. Thank you."

"Also a soldier came by looking for you. Lord Fugaku wants to speak with you in the throne room."

Sasuke gave a slight bow in a respect and headed in the direction older man had stated. He opened the large doors and inside he saw his father seated with Lord Kizashi speaking words he couldn't hear. They turned their attention to his approaching form. Sasuke stopped before the steps leading to his father's throne.

"Did you keep my daughter safe? I have yet to meet with her," Lord Kizashi asked.

Is this all they wanted to talk about? An evaluation of today's hunt? "Yes." He didn't intend to waste any time here if that was truly their intention.

"Have you been training for the tourney?" his father questioned.

"Yes."

His father grunted, "I'm sure you have." Sasuke couldn't tell if he was serious or if it was biting sarcasm.

"Do you know why the Harunos visit us, Sasuke?" his father questioned abruptly. He didn't wait for an answer. "Because our houses are good friends, and as good friends there are certain deals that have to be made. You and Sakura are to be married at the beginning of spring so this friendship can be secured."

_What?_

His heartbeat quickened, and his fists tightened at his sides. Married? When was this even spoken of? He had heard no talk of being married to that girl. The anger bubbling inside of him was threatening to be released.

"Are you serious?" he spoke through clenched teeth.

His father sent him a glare that could freeze entire armies in their tracks. "Is that problem?" he was challenging him to say something, to test his patience.

Sasuke didn't speak.

"I thought so."

"We have had this planned for quite some time, since our second visit to be exact," Kizashi explained.

Their second visit? Is that why Sakura felt in necessary to ask all sorts of ridiculous questions all those years ago? Had she known about this arrangement? Why had he been left in the dark? Had his mother and Shisui known? Had Itachi?

Of course they did.

"Have I no choice in this matter?"

"No," his father replied.

Sasuke's mouth pressed into a firm line. He felt like punching the older man in the face.

"My daughter is beautiful and smart. Don't dare disrespect her by acting as though she doesn't deserve you."

"Tch." He didn't miss how the Haruno Lord's eyes squinted in incredulity. He knew that if he stayed here any longer he would do something he would regret. "Are we finished?"

"Yes, go sulk in your room if that's what you plan on doing but understand that this is best for our two houses. Leave."

Sasuke turned on his heels and said nothing else as he exited.

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_This was a very long chapter, but I had fun time writing it. If you like long chapters, then I hope you had a blast reading. If you don't then sorry! I felt like some things needed to be introduced to the story, like Shikamaru! Shikamaru will play an important role in the story as it progresses, not nearly as much as Sasuke and Sakura, or Kakashi and Neji for that matter, but still important._

_I hope you enjoyed it! Leave me a review!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you for all the wonderful guys and gals for leaving reviews, favorites, and follows. It means a lot that people actually do enjoy reading the story I'm writing. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 5**

**Uncertainty**

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_"We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end"_

–_Blaise Pascal_

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**Sakura Haruno**

Today had been the most fun Sakura had in a very long time. The forest was nothing like she expected it to be. But then again, she really didn't know _what_ to expect. The difference in scenery was something she had no experience with. Everything seemed so primal. How the animals interacted with their surroundings. And how it felt as though the forest accepted Sasuke with open arms. She on the other hand, just felt lost, but she did her best to not let it show.

Her companion made it seem like he grew up in that forest. The way he maneuvered with such confidence made her question if he planted the trees there himself. So was she too much of a burden? Did Sasuke even enjoy her company? She thought she carried her weight pretty well, or at least as best she could. She made sure not to complain too much. But this was all foreign to her, walking around in the forest, hunting animals. It was astounding that her father would even agree to allow her to go with Sasuke.

"What are you thinking about, my lady," the woman behind her softly spoke, washing her back with a sponge. Sakura had not expected to walk for so long and for so far, and her feet were aching and her muscles were tight. It was for this reason she asked one of handmaidens if they could draw up a bath to which they eagerly obliged.

"I went hunting with Sasuke today. Have you ever been out to the forest, Amane?" Amane rung her hair, allowing the water to drip into a pan below. She was an older woman near the age of her mother. She had been the one who educated her in etiquette and the history of the land as well as the more private womanly matters.

Sakura felt the sponge press to her back again, and it went in smooth, efficient circles. The feeling calmed Sakura more than it probably should have. Her tense muscles relaxed with each scrub. It felt like they were slowly uncoiling in her.

"Plenty of times, dear, mostly gathering roots and herbs. This was your first time, yes?"

"It was, and it was very lovely."

"You're lucky, my lady, not many daughters of lords and ladies are allowed to go hunting. Your father must really like that boy."

"Maybe," but that was something Sakura wasn't so sure of. For all the times he's heard him complain about that 'Uchiha brat' making her daughter cry, it would certainly surprise her if her father actually started to like Sasuke. But Sakura knew her father. He was a stubborn man and refused to change his beliefs. The only reason he even agreed to let her go to the tourney was because of Itachi. And how he managed to convince her father was beyond her.

Amane stepped back and gave her a towel to dry off. "I'll be back in twenty minutes to start cleaning. Also, my lady, your mother and father wanted to speak with you. They said to meet them in the Grand Library."

She nodded and wondered to herself why her parents needed her. No doubt to see if she enjoyed her trip. "I'll be sure to meet with them when I'm finished here. Thank you for your help, Amane."

"It was my pleasure, my lady." She gave a soft smile and left the room with a soft click of the door.

Sakura dried herself and changed into her nightclothes that were brought to her. Slipping her feet into the flats, Sakura neatly folded the towel and set it next to the tub. She exited and headed in the direction of the library.

The Uchiha's castle was large. One of the largest she had seen and being inside of it did little diminish its size, and from what she remembered her destination was near the opposite end. The halls seemed to go on forever but eventually she reached it.

As she opened the large doors, she could see her mother and father sitting opposite each other at one of the tables. Their eyes found hers as she entered. Her father's arms were crossed, and her mother sat as ladylike as possible, hands on her lap with perfect posture.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she offered. Neither of them responded nor made any indication that they had heard her. "Was there something you needed?" she asked. They didn't answer right away, which only made her heart race with trepidation. Was it something more serious?

Her mother seemed to sense her fears and gave a soft pat to the chair next to her. Sakura gave her a skeptical glance but took a seat beside her.

"Sakura," her father started. "Did Sasuke treat you well today? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Her heart slowed its pace, and she let out a sigh of relief.

_So they were just asking about the hunting trip_.

It only made sense. It was Sakura's first time deep in the wilderness after all.

"He didn't try to hurt me, father. Sasuke was wonderful," she couldn't stop the smile from growing across her face. She noticed her mother's mouth tilt into a small one of her own, but her father looked unfazed. A scowl still graced his features.

"He didn't try to take advantage of you did he?"

"Absolutely not!" she hastily explained. "He would never do that." At least she thought he wouldn't. He wasn't exactly chivalric in the slightest, but Sakura was sure he would never stoop that low. She was certain of it.

Her father added, "Don't worry, Sakura. We're alone in here. I made sure of it. You can tell us." At first Sakura believed her father to be kidding, but his eyes were serious and his jaw was set.

"Kizashi, stop that. I trust our daughter's judgment," her mother scolded. Her mother was normally always on her side when it came to these small family arguments, so at least she could find solace in that during her father's impending questions.

Her father rubbed the temples on his head which prompted her to ask. "What's wrong father. I promise that Sasuke treated me like lady." She wasn't too sure how true her statement was, but when no response came, she hastily added in reassurance. "The hunting went well today. It was a lot fun."

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sakura." She could see his eyes soften when he turned to look at her. "We need to talk about something else, though."

Sakura felt the soft press of her mother's hands as she placed them comfortingly on her leg. "You're nineteen now, Sakura. You're a grown woman... and…suitors…have been asking for your hand since you were thirteen." Her eyes widened as she instantly put together what her mother said.

They found someone for her to marry.

Her hand found her stomach. She felt like she was going to vomit. Her mother took immediate notice and with worry in her eyes she asked, "What's wrong, Sakura? Did you eat something bad? I'll make sure the chef is dealt with accordingly."

"No, it was nothing I ate." She felt small circles being rubbed on her back, but it couldn't stop her mind from going rampant with picturing different men seeing her as an adolescent and asking her parents for her hand in marriage. She wondered if he would be gentle or rough. She heard stories that if the man isn't gentle the first time it could hurt like hell. And from the gossip she'd been told, they rarely are. Tears threatened to fall, but she steeled herself. Amane had told her every highborn lady went through this. Maybe he would be a handsome knight? A knight like in the storybooks. She wondered how old he would be. What he looked like.

Her mind raced to thoughts of her cousin. She was wedded in her early teens to a lord thrice her age who lived far south of Konoha. When she came back to visit, Sakura thought that the smiles she wore were genuine, but when night came, she shared Sakura's bed and cried into her arms. She told her that her husband forced himself on her nearly every night. The dark purple bruises only seen under her dress made Sakura all the angrier and all the more saddened.

"Sakura," her father spoke softly, in a voice she barely could hear. "You'll be wedded to Sasuke at the beginning of spring."

There was a pause, and she wasn't sure if she had heard correctly. "What?" was the first thing from her mouth.

"You and Sasuke will be wedded," her mother repeated. "The wedding will be when the flowers start to bloom. It will be gorgeous. I'll make sure it'll be the best in all the land." She could hear the enthusiasm dripping from her voice, and could already imagine her going over every meticulous detail.

_I'll be wedded to Sasuke?_

Her father scowled at her mother's enthusiasm. "I dislike it, but to help our two houses, it's for the best."

"I understand," Sakura said because she truly did. The Harunos and Uchihas were powerful houses; that much was clear. For them to wed their children, it would only solidify their relationship as close friends.

Her father's eyebrows raised in what she could only assume was surprise. His lips curled into a smile that seemed to exude pride. "It's good to hear that. You took it much better than he did."

"You've already told Sasuke?"

"Yes, and it's clear that you're much more mature than him." Her father face grew its frown again. "He was angry that he would marry _my_ daughter. The nerve of that boy!"

She felt another pat on her leg from her mother. "Any man would be lucky to have you as their wife, Sakura, remember that," her mother added. "And you are still pure, right?" Her mother asked. She could feel her father's eyes burn into her.

She answered honestly. "Of course."

Her mother gave a nod of understanding, "That's good." Her mother's eyes seemed to lose focus if only for second but Sakura was quick to notice. What could she be thinking?

"Allow us to walk with you to your chambers?" her father said.

"I'd like that."

Her mother rose from her chair and straightened her dress. "Let's be off then."

The short journey to her room was silent. Neither of her parents spoke as the three of them walked through the empty halls, only an occasional cough from her father.

"We can talk more about this if you want in the morning. We have a long day tomorrow so be sure to rest well," her mother said as they stopped at her door.

"I will."

Her mother leaned and kissed her forehead and then her father. "We love you, Sakura."

Her mother's sweet words stayed with her that night, and yet Sakura barely got any sleep. Her mind ceaselessly wandering to her promised husband.

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The next morning the entire castle was busy preparing for their travel to Konoha. Her clothes were packed into a cart with other bags of clothing. A good amount of people within the castle would be going. Most of the squires, some of the knights, Amane, a few of the handmaidens, and some of the distant cousins of faraway castles.

Near the entrance to the castle walls, Sakura was sat atop a wagon with an awning blocking out the mild sun. She couldn't drag her thoughts away from her eventual marriage. She wondered if Sasuke would be a good husband, what their kids would look like, how many they would have. She looked around at the many other wagons all getting ready to leave. A crowd of girls whispering to each other and stealing glances over to her. No doubt talking about her journey into the woods with Sasuke. But did they know about her betrothal to him?

She then saw Itachi saunter toward her wagon.

"Hello, Sakura. Did you enjoy hunting with my brother, yesterday?" Sasuke's older brother asked, his deep and soothing voice calming her.

"I loved it, Itachi. The forest is so beautiful," she said. "I don't think Sasuke minded that much either."

"And...nothing happened?" He asked almost casually, and admittedly the question caught her off guard. It was no surprise that her father would ask such a question, but it was strange to hear it come from Itachi. Did everyone think that they fooled around in the forest? Admittedly, it was a little romantic to think about, but would she want to? Was she supposed to yesterday? Is that the only reason that she was allowed to go with Sasuke?

"Nothing happened, Itachi," she replied softly. Her face heated up at the question and she could feel the warmth crawl down her neck.

"Oh, no, no, no…that's not what I meant." Itachi laughed.

"It's just that Sasuke is in a fouler mood than he normally is." Shisui said as he joined in on the conversation.

Sasuke knew about their betrothal. Was his bad mood due to knowing they would be married? She couldn't exactly pinpoint the emotion she was feeling, a combination of anger, disappoint, and sadness, no doubt. To think that Sasuke would be in such a bad mood that would warrant Itachi and Shisui to be worried. But would she really be that bad of a wife? Amane had had taught her well. She knew what to do in certain situations, how to appease your husband, and even how to make it pleasurable for him in bed. At least from the little she remembered learning about.

Her eyes scanned the crowd of people near her to see if she could pinpoint her soon-to-be husband. "Do you know where he is?" she asked unable to find him among the people.

"I think father is talking to him about the tourney."

She wondered what Sasuke relationship with his father was. Anytime she would see his father and him talk they'd both have a scowl etched onto their face. She thought about asking Itachi about it, but she left it be. "Do you two think he'll do well?" she asked attempting to fill the silence between them.

"Yes," Itachi answered almost immediately. "If he doesn't underestimate his opponents, I think he'll win the tourney."

"Yeah, pretty much what Itachi said," Shisui answered while looking away from them into the crowd. But when she followed his line of sight, she realized his eyes were trained on younger Uchiha walking in their direction.

She didn't know what to say to him. Should she acknowledge that they would soon spend their entire lives together? She hadn't even told Itachi or Shisui, or did they already know? Her heart and mind raced, and her brain scrambled to think of something to say as Sasuke approached.

And then she witnessed Sasuke walk past without so much as sparing a glance at the three of them. He ignored them as he passed, and it made Sakura clench her fists in frustration.

Shisui made a move forward as though ready to confront him, but Itachi put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's wait until he simmers down."

The word to start leaving the castle was shouted by one of the high-ranking Uchiha knights, and Shisui reluctantly went to get ready to leave.

Itachi flashed Sakura one of his signature smiles. "We'll talk when we stop later today."

She nodded in agreement as he left her, the thought of Sasuke still prevalent in her mind.

**Kakashi Hatake**

"The tourney starts in a few days, Kakashi. Have you heard word from the Hyuga or Uchiha, yet?" Shikaku asked him.

They were sitting around a table along with Guy and Asuma within one of the meeting rooms throughout the castle.

"Not since they last sent a message. I'm positive they will show within the coming days."

Shikaku pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear those two houses are hell to deal with. We have little time before the tourney, Kakashi."

"It will be fine," Asuma assured. "They always show up, don't they?"

"Yes, but I wish they would come early like everyone else. It would be easier to sort everything out."

"You worry too much, friend! Everything will go smoothly as it always does!" Guy exclaimed from his seat, flashing the Nara a large smile and a thumbs up.

"Yes, yes, but Kakashi, surely you did not call us here to discuss the lack of punctuality of these two houses." Shikaku mentioned.

"You're correct," he confirmed. "Orochimaru...has told me about a potential invasion the Land of Earth and Amegakure will launch against Konoha at the tourney."

There was no response. The room was silent. The prince sat back in his chair and huffed audibly while Guy and Shikaku stared at Kakashi, eyes squinted in skepticism.

"An invasion? And Orochimaru told you this?" Shikaku asked, the disbelief hanging on his words.

"Yes, he said that Danzo knows of this plot as well."

"And why should we believe what Orochimaru has said?" Shikaku folded his arms and frowned. "It's an absurd notion."

The prince leaned forward and challenged him. "I've known Orochimaru for all my life. What would he gain from lying about something this serious? Perhaps we should take his word."

"Out of all the people I have met, Orochimaru is shrouded in the most mystery. I would sooner believe stories of a beggar weaving tales for coin." Shikaku scoffed.

"Then perhaps we should question Danzo. You said that he knows of this plan as well, correct? Let's see what he has to say on the matter?" Guy offered.

"I had met with him before coming here. He confirmed that what Orochimaru said was genuine."

"So our spymaster hears the whispers of an invasion as well…Will you believe it now, Shikaku?" Asuma questioned.

"Maybe. I would proceed with caution and heed their words lightly, Kakashi. This tourney is to celebrate Asuma's betrothal to Princess Mei. If we divide our attention too greatly who knows how the Land of Water will react."

"Shikaku is right." Guy spoke up. "If this invasion happens we will be prepared. If they choose to dishonor us by betraying our trust, then I am sure that Water Country and even Wind Country will come to our aid. I believe there is nothing to fear."

Kakashi had no idea what to believe. He admittedly knew little of the two. They were a mystery to him, Orochimaru more than Danzo, but even then he questioned Danzo's motives at times. But now was something entirely different. A potential invasion—a potential war. Would they both lie to him? It wouldn't surprise him if they did, but how would they benefit from it? Perhaps their spies only overheard the drunken ramblings of disgruntled citizen? He felt uneasy about this whole thing. The very thought of an invasion set Kakashi mind reeling back to the last one he had fought in. It was hell, but he had a duty to his countrymen to protect them, and he wouldn't hesitate to take up arms again.

"If this is all decided, then I will tell the king when I get the chance." He said eventually.

"Do you believe that to be wise?" It was Asuma who said this. Guy and Shikaku gave him a curious glance.

"I believe so, yes. I was hesitant to at first just because I didn't want to speak of something I believed had no chance of occurring, but now I think that the king has a right to know. There is a possibility that Orochimaru and Danzo are correct. A slight one, but still. Would there be a reason for me not to tell him?"

"My father should focus solely on the tourney and the diplomacy involved with it. If things go smoothly, we could secure an alliance with the Land of Water. If we hear more talk about invasions, then we can inform him accordingly."

"I think that's a good idea." Shikaku agreed with a nod of his head. "I'm still unsure of the validity of their discoveries. We should wait and see how the days progress."

"Fine, I won't tell the king. Not yet that is."

Guy nodded in affirmation. "I believe that is best."

But Kakashi wasn't so sure. He'd go with it for now, but he knew King Hiruzen would have to know of it eventually. When would come that time though?

After a couple more minutes of deliberation between the four, they left and went to what other obligations they had, at least that was what Shikaku and Guy did. Before Asuma could get too far he grabbed the prince's shoulder and motioned with his head to follow him. Asuma shot him a questioning glance but proceeded with Kakashi through the hallway.

Eventually he opened a door that led to his destination, the gardens whose east side partly overlooked the sea. The walls of the castle could have unwanted ears listening.

"Why did you bring me here, Kakashi?" Asuma asked, a smirk growing on his face. He jokingly added, "Here to confess your love to me in the castle gardens? I always did think this place was magical."

Kakashi made no acknowledgement at the prince's banter, which prompted Asuma to ask, "What's wrong?" with slight worry in his eyes.

Kakashi was fighting an inner battle with himself. Asuma had a right to know. And yet, he didn't want him to do anything rash, but he was so unsure of how the prince would react. "Orochimaru told me something else that you should know." His stomach churned at the thought of what his friend was about to hear.

The worry was still there, but it seemed to amplify now that he heard the name that was involved. "What did he tell you, Kakashi? It can't be worse than hearing about a potential invasion, right?" He gave out a nervous laughter, and yet Kakashi could hear clear trepidation in his voice.

"Asuma, Danzo and Orochimaru know of your relationship with Kurenai."

Asuma blinked, and it was as though a flurry of mixed emotions that Kakashi couldn't quite place flashed across the prince's face. His friend remained silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"Orochimaru told you this?" he eventually muttered in response. Asuma's eyes found their focus on a one of the flowers of the garden. If his memory served him correctly it was a collection of pink chrysanthemums given to the garden as a present to the king.

"Yes, Orochimaru told me. I didn't want to speak of this with Shikaku and Guy present."

"_Why_ did he tell you?"

He had mulled over that exact question the past days, and he wasn't so sure himself. 'A friendly warning' is what he said but Kakashi knew better. "I don't know, Asuma."

He could tell Asuma was trying to stay calm, but Kakashi could notice the slight changes in his expression that showed he was anything but calm.

The prince's eyes finally tore away from the flower and studied Kakashi's face. "What should I do?" He asked. The voice that left him sounded like a child seeking advice from his father.

Kakashi didn't know the answer and when he told this to Asuma, the prince led a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Would they hurt her? Do you think they would?" No matter how calm Asuma tried to sound, Kakashi could hear the panic leaking through every word that fell out of his mouth. He knew the question the prince wanted to ask, but couldn't force out.

Would they kill her?

He answered truthfully, "Orochimaru, no. But, Danzo…he might, Asuma." His heart beat faster as the words escaped his lips. He hated acknowledging it as a possibility or even thinking about it. But he couldn't lie no matter how much he wanted to—and he was sure the prince already knew the answer anyway.

Asuma slowly turned around, the Konoha symbol on his back was all Kakashi could see. "I…uh…I have to go," he muttered.

"Asuma." Kakashi's hand immediately found the prince's arm. "What do you plan on doing?"

He could have sworn they stood there for a near eternity before an answer in a low gravelly voice finally found his ears, "I don't know."

"Asuma," he wanted him to turn around, to look him in him in the eye, but that symbol still glowered at him. "Asuma…don't do anything stupid." It was the only advice he could think of giving. He didn't know where the prince was going or what he might do, but Kakashi hoped he would use his best judgment.

He gave no response and no indication that he heard him. He left Kakashi there in the garden.

Kakashi lingered in the gardens, taking in the scenery and calming himself, before he took his leave as well. Afterwards, he made his usual rounds and checked if everything for the tourney was going accordingly, and yet the conversation with Asuma stayed with him throughout the day, and into the night when he retired to his quarters. He didn't see the prince anymore that day, and the guards he questioned hadn't either. He might have gone to see Kurenai. He wondered if he would tell her that her life could be in danger, but Kakashi wasn't sure that it was. Did Danzo even think she was a threat?

Did Danzo even care?

This was not a question he could simply ask because the older man would never give a straightforward answer. Danzo would only become more suspicious.

He didn't know what his friend was doing, but hoped it wasn't anything he would come to regret.

The next day was spent preparing for the coming tourney, and well into the day he had still not seen the prince. His worry was growing stronger.

Walking through the halls pondering this was when he heard the soft yet hurried steps of one of the approaching squires.

"Knight-Captain Kakashi," the young male greeted, giving a slight bow at the waist. "A large caravan had been spotted making its way to the main gates. They fly the Hyuga's flag."

He dismissed the squire and made his way to the main gates. He shouldn't keep them waiting.

* * *

**Neji Hyuga**

Neji tilted his head upwards and looked at the massive city walls that engulfed his vision. The large gate in front of him reached halfway up and had Konoha's symbol skillfully painted onto it.

The Hyuga's castle wasn't too far away from the city, so it only took them a three days' travel. The journey was uneventful and each day they made camp a half hour off the road to avoid unwanted attention.

The gate opened inwards and revealed the knight-captain, Kakashi Hatake, flanked by some of his men and a large number of what he guessed were servants. Behind the captain and his group, Neji could see some of the residents staring at them. Children tugging on their mother's clothes and pointing to the Hyugas, and some people attempting to get a better look. Kakashi looked as though he had not a care in the world.

Hiashi having already stepped out of his covered carriage walked toward the other man, his hand extended. Kakashi gave it a firm shake. "It's great seeing you again, Lord Hiashi," he said.

"Likewise." His uncle gave the him a pat on the shoulder.

Kakashi looked over the other man's shoulders to the caravan behind him. "That's quite the company you brought." And it was. All of the Hyuga's vassals sent squires to take part in the tourney. Many of their families and knights who apprenticed them joined too. The result was a massive group of people measuring well over a hundred. Luckily there were more than enough means of transportation to get them all here. Some walked next to the caravan, and the other more 'important' travelers rode in the carts and wagons. Hinata and Hanabi rode in the carriage with their father.

Neji walked.

"Many of the knights want to prove the point that their squire can come out on top. And many of my vassals are here as well, all trying to prove the same point. Isn't that what this all is? To prove a point one way or another?"

"You could say that."

Neji wondered about the relationship between his uncle and the knight-captain. It looked amiable when they had first started talking, but now their expressions were serious as they looked at each other. The affability dissipated with the passing breeze.

"Hopefully the rooming has been arranged so that we may stay within the castle."

"You and the more important families can stay there. Unfortunately, we don't have enough rooms to accommodate the rest. The Uchiha have yet to come, and we need available rooms for them as well. The rest will have to find a place in the inns." Kakashi's words came out dully, and without concern. It was strange to hear someone speak so boldly to Hiashi, humorous even.

He could sense that his uncle was displeased with these arrangements, but he made no move to complain. "That will have to suffice," he replied.

"Good. I'll have the servants unload your belongings and stow the horses and wagons at the stables," the captain replied.

Hiashi nodded, and walked back to the caravan. He listed names to a few of knights of those who would be allowed to stay in the castle. The remaining would need to find an inn. After a collective bow, the knights went to inform the rest.

"Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, come."

After helping his two cousins down, Neji followed his uncle into the city with Kakashi and his knights walking beside them. The crowd dissipated as they approached.

"The servants will escort the ones you chose back to the castle," the captain said keeping a comfortable pace.

Neji had been within Konoha's walls plenty of times before. The massive city's east wall bordered the ocean, and the Senju River grazed the north wall flowing into the sea. Its ports were always bustling with trade.

The street the main gate let onto was King Street, and staying on it would lead directly to the castle which he could see peaking triumphantly over the rest of the buildings. The street itself branched into many tinier ones that all lead to different parts of the city. He looked through the alleys between the buildings, and saw children playing within the narrow corridors and clothes strung up to dry. Up ahead King Street converged into a large square area, the center of the city.

The many merchants that occupied this part kept off the only two streets that funneled into the area. Valor Street which came from the north side intersected King Street and continued south through the city while King street continued toward the castle. The cobblestone on the streets contrasted with the surrounding ground, so they could easily be seen. And the merchants made sure not to setup on them.

Their company received mixed responses from those around them. Some responded with earnest bows at the Hyuga's presence. Some snarled. And the merchants offered their wares. All were ignored by his uncle as they pressed forward.

He was used to receiving stares, mostly from those within Hyuga's castle, so it didn't bother him. However, he couldn't help but look over to his two cousins and saw the striking contrast between them. Hinata had her head lowered avoiding the eyes of the city's inhabitants. And yet, Hanabi looked as though she was challenging each one with a look of her own, her head raised tall.

Something caught his eye however. In the midst of the crowds of people, an older girl with sandy blonde hair that gathered into four spiked ponytails locked eyes with him. Her attire was something Neji would expect an off-duty guard to wear. But what really drew his attention was not truly her appearance but the sword she wore at her side.

"That's King Rasa's eldest child and only daughter. I believe her name is Temari. She will be competing in the tourney," Kakashi said easing to a stop. The captain's eyes were following Neji's line of sight and looked at the girl who was heir to the Land of Wind's throne. "I was wondering what you were staring at," he commented.

At this point she turned swiftly around and walked away down the southern street. No one followed her.

"Where is her escort?" Neji heard his uncle ask. "Parts of the city are too dangerous for a princess to be walking around alone."

"The women of the Land of Wind are known to be fierce warriors," Kakashi stated. Neji could hear a few of the knights with them chuckle under their breath, but Kakashi looked a serious as he could. Neji watched a few of women from the Land of Wind compete in tourneys before. They didn't get too far though.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Those people are barbaric enough to allow women to wield swords and fight in wars," his uncle said shaking his head. "Let's continue on our way, Sir Kakashi."

They continued forward but Hanabi was still focused on the girl, her feet glued to the ground. Neji gave her light push which seemed to break her focus, causing it her to jump slightly.

"Let's go," he whispered.

Hanabi quickly nodded and caught up with the rest of them. Neji took one last look at the blonde's retreating figure as she rounded a corner before he quickened his pace.

Eventually they reached the castle. Its gates opened as they approached, and the guards bowed at their arrival as they walked past into the entrance. The Entrance Hall was an enormous room filled with several people that all turned to face them as the grand double doors pushed open. At that point, one of the knights escorted Hiashi to his room. The rest were ordered to go back and meet up with those that his uncle had said would stay in the castle. That left himself, Hinata, and Hanabi alone with the Knight-Captain.

"I'll escort you to your chambers," he said motioning for them to follow him. They weaved through the sea of people, and entered one of the halls that funneled into the large room.

"Neji, right?" Kakashi asked, looking back at him. "I remember you from the last time you and Lord Hiashi were here."

The previous time he had come to Konoha was a year ago when his uncle was invited to hunt with king. Hinata also went and as a result Neji went. He vaguely remembered having minimal conversation with Kakashi.

"Will you be entering the tourney?" the Knight-Captain asked, his sword swaying at his side.

"No," was his short response.

"That's a shame."

"N-Neji would p-probably d-do really well," Hinata mumbled as she fiddled with her dress.

"Is that so?" Kakashi said. "Then I can only imagine he can't attend because he's a member of the Hyuga's Side Branch. Would that be a good assumption?"

"Y-Yeah…I th-think so…or…um…" she seemed at a loss of words. She opened her mouth again to speak but Neji interjected before she could.

"Yes, that would be the reason," his words were blunt but true. He could hear Hinata mumble a word of apology. For what? Neji wasn't sure.

He then turned to his youngest cousin who had yet to speak. Hanabi seemed lost in thought. Her eyes were glued to her feet.

"What has your attention, Hanabi?" Neji questioned, and yet he was sure he already knew the answer.

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Are you anxious for the tourney?" Kakashi asked.

"No, I'm not allowed to attend."

"Then surely Hiashi's eldest daughter will be present?" He asked almost jokingly.

"Y-Yes, I will be there."

"That's good to know." The captain said as he stopped in front of one of the doors. "Okay then, Hinata, Hanabi, this will be your room. And Neji yours is the next room over. Your belongings will be here shortly. You are free to roam the castle and the city as you please." Neji was sure that the man before him had memorized these lines because it was as though he were reading from a script. Kakashi continued to list off a few more things like the rules, curfew, where other important guests were staying. "And there will be a banquet in the Great Hall, tonight. Now, I have important matters that I need to attend to, so I must be going. If you need anything, just ask." With that Knight-Captain Kakashi Hatake left their presence with a nonchalant wave of his hand, and headed back down the hall from where they came.

"One of the best knights in the land," Neji muttered softly to himself. Kakashi had a strange presence about him. If not for Neji's foreknowledge of him, he would have thought little of the man. His relaxed attitude was unusual for someone who was acclaimed as one of the best swordsmen and generals. He wasn't sure if anyone knew of Kakashi's origin and he couldn't say that he was one of the lucky few that did. He only knew that during the last war over a decade ago the Knight-Captain proved how deadly he was behind a sword and how sharp his mind was. Yet every time he had locked eyes with the man, staring into the windows of his being, he found something haunting about them.

The sound of the door opening gently shook him from his thoughts. When he saw Hanabi about to go through it, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She lifted her head. "The blonde woman from earlier…" Her voice faded. Neji sensed uncertainty within her words, uncertainty of how to proceed. Indeed, it strange to see a female with a sword. The Land of Wind was only places that Neji knew allowed women to fight in combat. Did it inspire Hanabi? Or perhaps the words of her father caused her to falter? "I won't be able to see her compete in the tournament," she continued. "So I want to meet her."

He smirked. It was no surprise that she did. The fire that Neji was so used to revitalized in those eyes.

.

.

.

That night in the Great Hall during the banquet, Hanabi started up a conversation with the warrior princess from Suna—with Hiashi sitting only a couple of seats away near the king. He could easily see his uncle's face redden with anger. His earlier comment made it clear that he did not think highly of the princess, but not even Lord Hiashi Hyuga would dare start a confrontation and disrupt a feast held by the king.

Neji's eyes trailed to other parts of the room. He was sure only a few people here would be competing in the tourney. The squires from the Hyugas and its vassals, some from the Land of Wind, and some from the Land of Water. He imagined that the rest of the contestants were in inns spread across the vast city.

Though, what he found strange was how Prince Asuma and King Rasa weren't to be seen, and no one seemed to care or bat an eye. Their seats were quickly taken by others wishing to sit as close to the king as they were permitted. He turned his attention to King Hiruzen. He was speaking with the King of the Land of Water and its princess. Neji had to admit that the fake smiles and forced laughter that came from Princess Mei were working wonders on those around her. She knew what she was doing. She knew how to play this game.

He pondered about how much of what anyone was saying was truly genuine. Everything looked staged. Rehearsed.

"It's much harder to earn respect than if we were men," he heard Princess Temari say, answering one Hanabi's questions. She continued on about how she trained, and her experiences, and eventually Hinata started stealing glances toward her direction.

To her left and right were her brothers, Kankuro and Gaara They sat uncaring about the questions his cousin was asking. Kankuro struck up conversation with those around him while Gaara kept to himself. That was until his pale blue-green eyes snapped to Neji's.

"Don't stare at me," his cold voice commanded. Neji noticed immediately that his siblings now seemed attentive as to what was happening. Were they waiting for something?

He calmly replied, "My apologies."

Something about the youngest prince bothered him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but if it was not for Hinata's touch on his shoulder, he would have continued to stare into the eyes of the prince.

The king gave a speech about the many inspiring squires that he hoped would make fine knights in his court, and how honorable it was to participate in the tourney. After the cheer and toasts from the crowd, the feast was over. Hiashi went over to tell the three of them he would be with the king for the rest of the day and left without another word.

Even when many of the people began leaving, Hanabi still asked the Princess Temari question after question which he was sure would irritate the siblings, but neither seemed to care.

That was until the youngest spoke. "Temari, Kankuro, we're leaving," he interjected. His words cut sharply through the conversation.

She sent an apologetic look at his now irritated cousin. "It was nice talking with you, Hanabi," she said gently.

Prince Gaara looked at him one last time and then turned to leave.

"Be careful around him," Neji urged his cousins as he watched the prince and his siblings walk into of the many halls.

Hinata responded with a tentative nod.

Hanabi replied, her lack of fear showing in her eyes. "Of course."

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

They were two days into their journey to Konoha before they stopped in a little town that branched off the road. It wasn't much of a sight but it was a necessary stop.

The lord that presided over town had greeted them when they appeared near the entrance. "I am glad that you have decided to find shelter in our village for the day, my lords." He had bowed deeply and said.

"Do you have enough room to hold our men? You will be paid handsomely," his father told the man.

"Of course, my lord, we get travelers though here all the time. We have more than enough rooms. And of course given your status, you, Lord Kizashi, and your families can reside in my manor for the night. There are plenty of beds."

His father nodded simply.

Those around him started getting off their wagons and unpacking essential items. He could see Sakura in a nearby carriage talking to her mother.

"Don't stare, sweety," his own mother whispered to him, a knowing smile showing on her face. She mistook his staring as a sign of affection.

Late into the evening after his family and Sakura's ate with the lord, Sasuke found himself an inn to sit at. An hour later, he had a few cups of ale and listened the boisterous laughing of a mix of the Uchiha and Haruno men around him.

Taking a gulp from his cup, he heard a yelp come from behind him. The voice was of a girl that looked near his age. She was rubbing her bottom.

"Come back over here, missy. Sit down on my lap, so I can tell you stories of my adventures." He held up his drink and let out a laugh. The surrounding men joined in the laughter.

"What adventures would that be? You gonna tell her about time Lord Fugaku had you herding cows as punishment?" The men started snickering, trying to hide their faces behind their cups.

Sasuke could see the girl attempt to hold back one of her own—that was until another hand found its way on her ass. Her face became red, and she quickly walked pass him and retreated behind the bar. The innkeeper simply shook his head at the spectacle before him.

Sasuke took another drink of his ale.

He heard the door to the inn open but paid no attention it, his eyes found the drink in front of him much too interesting. Then he heard the chair across from him shift back. He looked up to see his brother staring at him from across the small table. He sported simple trousers and a brown tunic.

"You figured out."

"No shit."

Sasuke knew he was talking about his arranged marriage with Sakura. It pissed him off that everyone kept this from him, that they had known for _years_.

"I'm sorry," his brother offered.

The apology was ignored. "How long did you know?"

"For five years. The second time the Haruno family visited," he explained. "Father spoke of it to me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Father told me not to."

"Tch." The girl walked back out with more drinks in hands. The men behind him started clapping at her arrival.

"I'll have to apologize to the innkeeper for their behavior before we leave tomorrow." Itachi stood. "I'm going back to the manner. Are you coming?"

He took another drink. "No." Empty now.

Itachi sighed. Two of his brother's fingers poked his forehead. "Would it be so bad, Sasuke?"

Sasuke swatted the fingers away. "Yes," came his quick reply. "With the way you and Sakura have been, I'm surprised you aren't more pissed off about this."

Itachi gave him a confused look, then chuckled when the realization dawned on him. "It's called being friendly to your guest, Sasuke. Sakura is beautiful, but I have no desire for Sakura."

"Shisui and I saw you many times with her when we were back home, even now on the road. You two basically inseparable."

"I certainly wouldn't say _that_. Someone from our family needs to treat nicely." Sasuke didn't respond to that. Itachi offered a sad smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke."

.

.

.

It was hard for him to tell how much time had passed, but eventually he was the only person in the room save for the girl. She moved deliberately from table to table collecting the cups the men left as they retreated upstairs to sleep. The innkeeper had retired for the night, leaving the rest of the cleanup to the girl with the fiery hair.

Sasuke sat staring at his newly refilled cup and listened behind him as she muttered about how incompetent the men were. She moved into the room behind the counter.

"How long are you going to sit there?" She asked coming out with her hands on her hips.

He made no attempt to answer the question. "Does that happen often?" The words fell out of his mouth, his tongue loose from the alcohol. The question took her aback.

"Does what happen?"

"What they were doing," Sasuke answered. She didn't answer immediately, but Sasuke could guess the answer. She was attractive that much he could tell. Her fair skin and red hair could be seen as a great prize for some men.

"It happens at times," she responded eventually. She lowered herself in the seat across from him. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Sasuke," he said. He took another gulp.

It looked as though recognition flashed in her eyes. "Your Itachi Uchiha's brother," she commented.

He scowled. "Yes."

A smirk grew on her face. "Living in your brother's shadow, eh?"

The slight twitch of his mouth was apparently all that the red headed needed because she continued. "Are you attending the tourney in Konoha?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think you're going to win?"

"Yes, that's the plan at least."

She giggled. "My name's Karin," she said extending her hand. He shook it. It was small and softer than he would have thought. "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Probably."

With no hesitation she abruptly asked, "When was the last time you were with a woman?" He squinted his eyes at the question, fitting together what she meant by it. He hated to admit that it took him longer to realize what she was asking. Probably all the drinks he had. "Or are you still pure?"

He snorted at that one, and then he noticed the devilish grin on her face. She took the cup of ale from him and pulled him to his feet.

"I don't know what you're trying to forget with all those drinks, but let me help." She said moving toward him.

Slowly, she leaned forward and her lips made contact with his. The kiss was slow and methodical, but if they were going to do this, then that wasn't what Sasuke wanted. He was hungry, hungry to forget. And it had been too long since he had felt the softness of a girl pressed against him, so he deepened the kiss.

"Let's go…into one of the…vacant rooms," she managed in between kisses.

They went up the stairs and into one of the unoccupied rooms.

The kissing had turned clumsy as they both hastily removed their clothes. His hand found her breasts, and he molded them with his hands, relishing in the softness. But he was growing impatient, and from what he could tell so was she. She grabbed hold of his hardened self and guided him into her.

She gave a sound of approval as he entered, and he quickly began pumping into her soft, tight folds. She was already so wet. She found his rhythm after a few moments and matched her hips with his. His mouth found its way to her neck.

"Fuck…" she moaned.

He bucked his hips faster. The bed shook and squealed underneath them.

He could feel himself threatening to explode, and quickly removing himself, he brought his hand down to finish on her. Her hands pushed his aside as she grabbed hold of him and gave a few pumps before he spilled on her bare stomach. He grunted as he came onto her, his muscles coiling with pleasure.

She stroked him for a few more moments and then they laid there. The only sound for a few seconds was their tired panting before Sasuke removed himself from the girl below him. He could feel the buzz from the drinks slightly wearing off as he planted his feet on solid ground.

With no hesitation he began dressing himself.

"Stay here tonight," she said almost pleading. He pulled his arm through the sleeves of his tunic and buttoned the shirt.

"No," he replied and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Sasuke exited the inn and stepped out into the cool night air. The streets were calm, and no one was out. He was alone with his thoughts—and he hated it. So he started walking.

His journey to the manor was uninteresting. Everyone was asleep or in their homes. Sasuke saw a few windows with candlelight emitting from them, softly lighting the street below.

When he arrived at the lord's manor, he knocked lightly on the door and heard grunting on the other side. Eventually the door opened, revealing a burly man. When the man recognized who he was looking at he quickly composed himself and took a respectful bow.

Sasuke gave little attention to him and continued past, up the flight of stairs that overlooked the entrance, and to his room.

The door opening revealed Shisui sitting in a chair looking out of the window as the moonlight washed over him, busying himself by eating the green apple in his hand.

"Shisui, what are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded as he stood in the doorway.

His cousin turned around swiftly in his chair with a knowing grin on his face. "And where have you been this night?"

When Sasuke didn't answer, he took another bite of his apple and laughed. "You know," he said after he swallowed. "You smell like you had a good fuck."

"What do you want Shisui?" He asked again, his patience thinning.

"I was just wondering where my little cousin was," he quickly answered, and immediately hit him with a question that made Sasuke's fists clench. "Was it with Sakura? Her door was shut all evening after supper."

Apparently Sasuke's silence was an answer for Shisui. "I knew you guys would make up, though I didn't think it would be in such a fashion." Shisui smirked and stood from his chair.

"It wasn't her."

"Oh really?"

"Get out, Shisui."

"You still angry with me?"

"I'm trying to sleep."

"Don't avoid the question. You can be angry with me, I deserve it, but Sakura doesn't. She knew as little about your arrangement as you did." Shisui eyes were serious as they looked at him, searching for a response.

"But you knew." It wasn't it a question. It was an accusation.

"You're right. I did."

He didn't want this conversation to continue. He didn't want to end this night punching his cousin in the face. "Leave."

Shisui sighed, a smirk growing across his lips. "You'd think a person who just fucked his betrothed would be in a happier mood."

Sasuke teeth clenched. "Shisui!" he gritted out.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. You should probably head off to the baths before we leave tomorrow. Don't want that smell lingering." He gave Sasuke a wink as he walked passed him out the doorway.

He stood there a while after Shisui had left. Sakura hadn't been in her room the entire evening? She was there to sup with them. Would it be so strange for him to go in and see if she was in there?

With no more deliberation, he turned on his heels and walked down the hall until he stood in front of her room. His hand went to knock, but he stopped before it hit the door, and instead he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

He strained his eyes to looked into the darkness, but he could tell no one was there. The room was empty.

Did no one care that she wasn't here? Should he?

He let out a huff of air. The baths seemed nice right now.

.

.

.

He couldn't tell how long he was out for before he abruptly awoke to the sound of incessant knocking on the door. He groggily looked toward the window and noticed the night was still young. Another knock convinced himself to leave the bed. He shifted from the covers and made his way to the door. There was one more irritating knock before he could open it.

"It's late. What do you want?" he asked the girl before him. Her pink hair was unusually disheveled.

"Sasuke…hi…" Her words slurred around in her mouth. She had a wide grin on her face.

Her breath smelled of alcohol.

"Are you drunk?"

She giggled and asked the question back to him. "Are you?" Her small hands went to her lips to stifle the giggles that escaped. "The Uchiha knights sure know how to…have a good time!" she let out a boisterous laugh. Sakura being in the company of the knights bothered Sasuke more than it probably should. He thought back to how they harassed the girl from earlier and wondered if they did the same with Sakura. Before the idea could fester in his mind, Sakura began to sing one of the songs Sasuke had learned growing up.

"…_The highest king, how mighty you swing. How might a fighter this king of kings. How fearsome your eyes that see everything. So we toast in awe to the highest king!_" She lifted her hand as if giving a toast, and laughter escaped as she ended the verse. She quickly put a hand over her mouth when she realized how loud she was being.

"Did you walk here by yourself, Sakura?"

"Why? Were you worried about me?" She slurred, jabbing a finger to his chest. "Some of the knights escorted me back. They're nice to me! Unlike _some_…people." Her slender finger poked his chest again. "_Aaaaand_ did you know that a few of them even slew giants? _Giants_, Sasuke!" He was about done with this. He was tired, and Sakura was in the manor. He was sure the knights wouldn't have tried anything as stupid as harassing her.

"Go to sleep, Sakura," he said calmly, stepping back to close the door.

"Wait!" she shouted much too loudly.

He waited as patiently as he could before she started speaking in a jumbled mess of words.

"I didn't know…" She started to say. "I…I didn't kn-know about this…_thing_…we're d-doing, Sasuke…I didn't…I swear! You're so mad, but I d-didn't…know…I didn't. I…don't want you to me hate me…like before." Her arms fell to her side, and her hair fell over her face.

She rambled whenever she was uncertain about something. Or it was the alcohol. Did she try to drink away her feelings? He supposed they were similar in that aspect.

"Would…it really be that bad?" she finally slurred out.

_Would it?_

Sakura was so out of it that he imagined she wouldn't remember any of tonight. Not of her loud and annoying singing that probably woke half the manor. And not of his answer. But he would remember that peculiar yet pleasant smile that spread across her face when he conceded and responded, "Probably not."

* * *

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* * *

_Sorry for the long wait, there was a lot of geographical planning going into making this chapter. Like planning for the world created in this story. And research. But I think it paid off in the end._

_And with the tourney only a chapter or two away, you'll see plenty more of the Sand Siblings. Also for clarification Rasa is the name of their father, and is the current king of the Land of Wind. I'm having a blast writing this story, and I hope you've had fun reading it so far._

_Tell me how I did! Leave me a review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you everyone for being so patient. I appreciate all the support. I'll definitely try and update quicker this time around. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and it's a long one, so I hope you enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Contrast**

* * *

"_Where the light is brightest, the shadows are deepest." _

–_Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

* * *

**Sakura Haruno**

Their supper was a quiet one. No one talked much other than the forced conversation by Lord Kunio who presided over the small town. He was a tall and burly man that tried too hard impress her father and Lord Fugaku. He went on about how hopeful he was that Sasuke would do well in the tourney and asked him how the younger Uchiha thought he would do.

Across the table, her future husband responded with an unenthusiastic "I'm sure I'll do well," said no more on the matter, and continued to eat into his apple.

The meal concluded shortly after, and Sakura excused herself and went to the room she was provided. There was nothing particularly interesting about it, a bed, a desk, and a window with dark blue curtains hanging on it. Truthfully she was bored, and she didn't know what to do. Her father had only given her leave to roam the lord's house, so she was confined to the manor.

Should she go spend time with Sasuke? She was sure it was expected of her, and yet Sakura wondered if he still was angry. It wasn't her fault that they were to be married. It wasn't. But he made it seem like it was all her doing. The looks he gave her on the travel here. It was as though he was trying to burn holes through her.

Her sadness and anger culminated into a huff as she fell onto the feather bed.

There was an abrupt knock on the door. Most likely her parents coming to console her. She quietly groaned as she picked herself up and opened it to reveal Shisui, leaning in the doorway.

"Sakura, you seem a bit down. Care to accompany me this evening?" He gave an exaggerated bow that reached far more than it needed.

She couldn't help but giggle at his playful attitude. She had little else to do, and she certainly didn't want to stay in her room all evening and into the night. "I would love to, but…my father has restricted me to this cursed manor," she admitted lightly.

"Oh, no worries! I've already asked him, so we're good to go."

She gave him a look. "You were pretty confident that I'd agree, no?"

"Was I wrong?"

"I suppose not." She smiled at his wit. It was strange that Itachi and Shisui were so different from Sasuke. If not for their looks, it would be hard to tell that the two were related with him. "I should change first." She was currently in a dark pink dress with a floral pattern embroidered on the bodice. Maybe she should change into something more comfortable. She didn't know how long they would be out and didn't want to risk potentially ruining the dress. However, what Shisui said in response made her cheeks become heated.

"Don't. You look lovely," he complimented nonchalantly.

"Uh…" Sakura wasn't used to receiving praise on her looks, the only male who ever complimented her was her father, and maybe the occasional knight in courtesy. She wasn't used to being called pretty. "Th…thanks…"

Shisui chuckled under his breath. "You're as red as a tomato, Sakura."

Her hands went to her face as she felt the heat that was on her cheeks. "L-Let's just go…" she replied with an attempt to compose herself.

The sun was still up as they went outside. The guards gave them a small bow as they left, and she gave them a smile in return.

"So did you have a place in mind? Or are we just walking aimlessly?" she asked her companion after passing multiple buildings.

Shisui gave her a smirk that she had come to expect from the Uchiha. "We're almost there," he assured.

The place that Shisui had taken her was a tavern near the center of the town. One of the larger buildings from which she could hear loud shouts as she approached closer to the door.

"Ever been to a tavern, Sakura?" He smirked as he pushed the door opened.

She walked into the new world. "I can't say I have."

The smell of wood and alcohol assaulted her. Instinctively, her nose scrunched up at the strong scent. She could hear Shisui chuckling beside her. "You'll get used to the smell," he assured as he walked around the tables to a group of men in the back all jollily drinking. She hesitantly followed.

"Shisui! I was wonderin' when you were goin' to show up!" One of them shouted from his spot. From the insignia on the clothes they wore, she easily drew the conclusion that they were Uchiha soldiers. "And you even brought the blossom wit' ya!"

"To Shisui and the blossom!" another shouted. They all took a drink, and slammed their cups down in unison, some contents splashing out. She didn't know whether to be flattered by their nickname or bewildered.

"They'll drink to anything," Shisui explained in a low voice so only she could hear. "Watch this." Shisui stood on the chair and proclaimed loudly, "Let's give a toast to the owner for putting up with us!" He raised his imaginary cup in the direction of the elderly man behind the counter.

"I'll drink to that!" One of them shouted, followed by the men tilting back their drinks. Shisui gave her a sideways glanced with a smirk on his lips.

"Okay, well maybe that's a reasonable thing to drink to," he remarked laughing. He pulled a chair out from under a nearby table and offered the seat to her. She sat down, and he took the seat across from her.

"Have you ever drunk ale, Sakura?"

"Does wine count?"

"Afraid it doesn't."

He sat back, his smirk still present. One of the men shouted "Let's get another two rounds over here for Shisui and the lady!"

The old man came to up to them a wide smile on his face and placed a cup of what she presumed was ale and went back to serving the other tables.

"This is the drink of the common folk, blossom!" Another soldier explained loudly.

"To Sakura!" Shisui shouted to the men around him. "For being such wonderful guest and accompanying me here!"

"Here! Here!"

She watched as Shisui tilted the cup all the way back and didn't stop until it was empty and slammed it back on the table, eyeing her. The other men followed suit with a resounding cheer. She downed the drink as well, earning her cheers of approval.

Another was brought to her. This time she took her time drinking it as she listened to the stories the knights of the Uchiha had to offer.

"If you've never seen the Land of Wind, it's a spectacle. Desert all over, as far as the eye can see!"

At some point, her head started getting fuzzy, and she started smiling more.

"Lord Fugaku made Sasuke go catch the chickens he mistakenly let out. You should've seen him running around the castle!" Shisui said, and she giggled imagining Sasuke running around, trying desperately to catch the escaped birds. The remaining men erupted into a roar of laughter.

The stories became more interesting with each drink. Their journeys around the world! The soldiers taking down a group of giants! Liberating villages from cruel lords!

There was a lull before one of the burly men leaned over and said to her, "So, blossom! Some of the men here think Sasuke has never been with a woman. And you and him went out into the woods, right?" He let the question hang there.

She turned her head to Shisui, who smirked and shrugged at her silent plea for help. So much for the chivalric qualities of a knight.

"Sasuke and I didn't do anything," she said firmly. But the sight of Sasuke running around the castle yard to grab chickens invaded her mind, and she burst into a fit of giggling.

"The giggling gave it away, blossom!" He responded. "To the blossom and Sasuke!" He lifted his cup, and they all cheered in unison. Even she did. She couldn't help it. It was too much fun.

And then they started to sing. It was an upbeat tune that talked about the gallant of some ancient king.

_There once was a king, the highest king._

_He rode through the land, his quests we sing._

_The people amazed of the wonder they saw_

_They cheered at his grace, his strength, and his awe._

_The highest king, how mighty you swing._

_How mighty a fighter this king of kings._

_How fearsome your eyes that see everything. _

_So we toast in awe to the highest king!_

_He rode through the towns. He rode through the walls._

_He downed all his foes, his opponents they fall_

_The force of his sword could fell even a tree._

_He laughed as he watched all his enemies flee._

_The highest king, how mighty you swing._

_How mighty a fighter this king of kings._

_How fearsome your eyes that see everything. _

_So we toast in awe to the highest king!_

And as the song commanded, they raised their drinks and downed them in unison. She enjoyed the song well enough, but she didn't know if it was because it was actually good, or if it was just the state she was in.

The night went on, and many of the men filtered out of the tavern, falling over each other and singing new songs as they left. The remaining had moved to a section of the room to "to talk it up with the girls over there," as they put it.

She looked over at Shisui with a less-than-ladylike grin, and Shisui tried to stifle his laughter with his hand but failed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, between his gasps of air.

"I have no idea."

She took the last drink of her ale and placed the cup next to his.

"Your cheeks are red."

She smiled. "Yours are too."

He sat back in his chair, a smirk on his face. The owner came by and refilled their drinks. "How are you two doing?" The old man asked.

"Doing pretty well," Shisui answered, raising his newly filled cup to his lips. The man gave a nod and went back to cleaning the tables.

She looked around the room and noticed a girl with red hair seated as far away as she could from the Uchiha soldiers. Her face was buried in a book. "What do you think she's reading," Sakura asked Shisui a smile creeping on her face for a reason she couldn't explain.

Shisui squinted and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh! I didn't even notice her!" he shouted in response.

"Sssshhhhhh!" she urged. He quickly put a hand over his mouth, and the two of them looked over to the girl to see if she had heard.

They immediately locked eyes with her and quickly turned back around.

"We should invite her over!" Shisui whispered through cupped hands.

Sakura was curious as to what she was reading. She stood up and started walking toward the girl with newfound confidence.

"Sakura, you going to invite her over? Invite her over! Invite her!"

Sakura giggled, and turned around. "I will. I will," she giddily reassured Shisui.

She walked up to the girl with confidence in her stride. "Hey, what are you reading?" She asked.

The girl sighed and showed the front cover to her. "Tales from the Land of Fire," she read.

"What did she say?!" Shisui shouted from the other side of the room.

She found it funny and giggled even more than she already was. "Do you want to sit with us?" Sakura offered.

The girl closed her book and relented almost dejectedly, "Sure, why not?"

"What'd she say, Sakuraaaaaa?!" Shisui asked again, dragging out her name in a pouting manner.

"She said yes, Shisui!" Sakura shouted back, a huge smile across her lips. She turned back around and did an exaggerated curtsey. "My name is Sakura. What's yours?"

"It's Karin."

"Nice to meet you, Karin," Shisui shouted a bit too loudly as they were walking back. He stood from his chair and gave a bow. "Shisui Uchiha."

"I know who you are. I saw you at a tourney some time ago. You did well."

"Oh? It looks like my reputation precedes me," he gloated jokingly.

The three of them talked into the night, Karin only really spoke when she was spoken to. She seemed to be thinking about something the entire time. Her gaze would wander to the wall, and her eyes would travel to the table, but Sakura was determined make her have a good time. Even if the topics were frivolous.

Shisui excused himself and turned to the soldiers in the back. "Hey, Tekka!" he called. "Make sure you get Sakura safely back to the manor. Unfortunately, I have to leave."

"Aww, where are you going Shisui?" She whined.

"I need to get back to the manor. I just remembered that I need to talk to Itachi."

"Can't you do it tomorrow?" She glared at him. "You're drunk, y'know?"

"I'm sobering up, Sakura," he replied sticking his tongue out. Shisui stood up and reminded the knight to take her back. "I'll stop by your room some time later tonight, okay?" He gave a short wave.

After Shisui made his departure, Karin gave her a strange look. "Are you guys together?"

"Who?" Sakura asked, genuinely confused.

"You and Shisui."

She almost choked on her drink.

"Her and Shisui?!" Tekka shouted from his spot. He let out a boisterous laugh. "She's betrothed to Sasuke," the knight continued. "You should see those two. They're practically smitten."

"I swear they fuck _all_ the time," another soldier added.

"We do not!" She was appalled at their blunt manner. The men snickered and returned to their drinks.

"You and Sasuke are betrothed?" Karin asked.

Composing herself, she responded. "Yeah…though he doesn't seem too happy about it. I think I would make a great wife. Don't you think, Karin? I can cook, clean. I'm good with children. I'd occupy myself with my reading. You'd think I'd be a good wife, right Karin?" She didn't receive an answer. The girl with red hair seemed to be lost in thought. "Karin?" She was looking at her cup now. What was she thinking about? "Karin?" she tried again. This time she heard.

"Oh! Sorry…"

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked concern.

"It's…uh…nothing."

A wide smile grew across Sakura's face. "If you say so." She held up her cup and shouted, "Another round!"

Over the course of the next hour, the two of them began exchanging questions back and forth. Sakura learned that Karin's favorite color was red, and like herself, has a weakness to the wonderful taste of sweet food. However, another five drinks in and Sakura began to stumble over her words and her feet as she attempted to stand. Karin got to her feet and held Sakura as she almost tripped forward.

"Woah…you just saved my life."

Karin giggled and responded with a lighthearted, "No, the only thing in danger was your head."

"Hehe, you're funny…I'm glad we're friends…We're friends right…?"

"Yeah, we're friends."

"That's good…I don't have a lot of girl friends…" She didn't. Most of the girls back home didn't speak to her, and the ones she met on her travels to the Uchiha's castle, didn't seem too fond of her either.

"Okay, lads," the knight, Tekka, said as he got to his feet. "Let's get the blossom back to the manor."

The knight walked over, and Karin gave Sakura's unsteady body to him. "All right, you ready, blossom."

_They're drunk too._ She giggled at her obvious observation. "It was nice to meet you…Karin," she slurred. Her new friend gave her a small wave while Sakura was escorted out of the tavern and into the night.

.

.

.

As their company approached the gates of the manor, the men left her and Tekka to find inns to stay in, and she and the knight entered the manor. He escorted her to her room, took a bow, and left her be.

She flopped on her bed, and just as she was about to close her eyes she heard a knock on her door. She wondered immediately who it could be. She quickly got up and went to open it, but her hand stopped before it reached the handle. It could be her parents here to check up on her. Would they care if she were drunk right now? She made a quick attempt to tidy herself up before she fully opened it.

"Shisui!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Shisui smirked. "Did you enjoy your time out with me tonight? Hopefully it was worth leaving this place for it."

"It was wonderful!" she bubbled. "We have to go to a tavern again sometime."

He laughed at her enthusiasm. "Just how drunk are you right now?"

"Only a little," she giggled.

"Right," he replied, smiling.

"Soooo, how was your talk with Itachi?"

"Uneventful, but I did talk to Sasuke too."

"Oh…?"

"Yeah, but it was also uneventful. He just talked about Sasuke things. You know, the usu—"

"Why does he hate me?" Sakura abruptly asked crestfallen. Her question came out of nowhere, but it was if she wasn't in control of her mind. "I did nothing wrong…right?" She hadn't. Not once in the trip to this town did Sasuke say anything to her. It made her so unbelievably upset that she couldn't even think about it without her heart clenching in her chest. "Sasuke hates me." And now she knew she was on the verge of tears. "We're supposed to be married soon, and he hates me."

She was a mess.

He let out a soft chuckle. "He doesn't hate you. In fact, he complimented your hunting abilities earlier this week. 'Honestly, I was surprised.'" He spoke in a lower voice attempting to mimic Sasuke. "See you're smiling. Don't think too much into it. Sasuke is just frustrated. He hadn't been told about the betrothal, but everyone else had. Including myself."

Her smile faltered. "You knew? Why…didn't you tell him?" Her speech was slower than she would have liked it to be. Her vision was getting blurry, and she hastily wiped the tears away.

"I was told to keep it secret by Fugaku. No one was to know except for a few people."

"Who…?"

"Lady Mikoto, your mother and father, Itachi, me, and some higher ranking knights from both houses. That's it."

It was a weird sensation to be curious, drunk, and crying. It was as though her mind was racing trying to comprehend every detail that flowed from Shisui's mouth, and at the same time, attempting to stop her mind from dwelling on it for longer than it needed.

He gave a small shrug. "He didn't want a lot of people to know. Can't say I know why."

She turned away from him. They all kept it from her and Sasuke. And Sasuke blamed her. It wasn't fair.

"Hey," Shisui said, snapping her from her trance. "Forgive me?" He offered a smile that she had grown familiar with over the past evening.

And no matter how much she tried, she couldn't prevent her own from forming. "I forgive you."

"Good, now get some sleep, you're still pretty drunk."

"And you're not?" She sniffed and continued to wipe her tears.

He winked. "Only a little. You had many more drinks than I did, Sakura."

At this point she could feel her tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry that I'm crying." Her frustration with this damned situation. How her future husband couldn't stand the sight of her. How her parents didn't tell of this betrothal for all these years. She just wanted to cry and hit something.

"It's fine. I'll blame it on the drinks." He winked at her.

"Thanks," she said, rubbing at her eyes in an attempt to dry them.

"Not a problem. Now, I hope you sleep well." He took a step back and gave an exaggerated bow, "Good night, my lady."

She couldn't stop the giggle that escaped and took hold of her dress and curtseyed, "Good night, Sir Shisui." As she finished she stumbled forward. Shisui shook his head lightheartedly as he grabbed her by the arm preventing her descent to the floor.

"You're so drunk," he chuckled. He stood her straight and told her for the final time to get some sleep as he walked away a smile present on his face.

She closed the door and stood awkwardly for a second before her thoughts rushed to Sasuke against her will. Should she speak to him? Was he even awake? Maybe he wouldn't be mad anymore, and she was just overthinking things.

Shisui's words hung in her mind, and she walked with purpose and determination to Sasuke's room. Sakura stood at his closed door and knocked. And she waited before she knocked again. And knocked. And knocked. And knocked. And—

"It's late. What do you want?" The door was open now, and Sasuke stood there.

He looked so handsome, even late at night. "Sasuke…hi…" She could feel her lips curl in to a grin. The moonlight pouring into the hallway from his room made his deep onyx eyes intoxicating. She could get lost in them forever if she didn't control herself.

"Are you drunk?"

"Are you?" She giggled even though she tried to stifle her laughter. "The Uchiha knights sure know how to…have a good time!" The laughter that escaped her mouth came out louder than she expected.

"…_The highest king, how mighty you swing. How mighty a fighter this king of kings. How fearsome your eyes that see everything. So we toast in awe to the highest king!_" She gave an imaginary toast and laughed again. She quickly put a hand over her mouth when she realized how incredibly loud she was being.

"Did you walk here by yourself, Sakura?"

"Why? Were you worried about me?" She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Some of the knights escorted me back. They're nice to me! Unlike _some_…people. _Aaaaand_ did you know that a few of them even slew giants? _Giants_, Sasuke!"

"Go to sleep, Sakura." He was leaving. He was still mad. She knew it.

"Wait!" she shouted. _Don't go_.

He stopped moving and turned back to her, expectantly.

"I didn't know…" She started struggling to find the words. His gaze unrelenting. "I…I didn't know about this…_thing_…we're doing, Sasuke…I didn't…I swear! You're so mad, but I didn't…know…I didn't. I…don't want you to me hate me…like before." She didn't want to look at him. She wasn't sure how she looked at the moment, but it couldn't have been good.

"Would…it really be that bad?" she finally slurred out.

He stood there for a while not saying anything. His eventual response made her heart quicken, and a small smile form across her lips. "Probably not."

.

.

.

As morning came, Sakura found herself in her bed. Her head throbbed with a pounding ache. Then she turned to the light from the window and realized the mistake as her head protested in pain.

She remembered the previous night hazily. She recalled her encounter with the red haired woman named Karin, and Sasuke's response. Just thinking about it, brought a tug to her lips.

She slowly moved from the bed and winced as the pain flared in her head again.

_The curtains_.

Sluggishly with a hand on her head, she moved to the window and resolutely closed the curtains blocking out the sun, and giving a sigh of relief.

A knock that sounded like a chorus of drums resonated from the door and crashed its way into her skull.

"Coming," she droned, and then she realized that it could be her parents. If they had figured out she had come back drunk and stumbling how would they see her. Surely disappointed. She braced herself as she opened the door, hopefully they didn't know, but Sasuke stood there in a loose tunic and trousers.

She blushed furiously as she realized that he had seen her in that state, her fiancé and her future husband. He witnessed her standing at his door like a drunkard off the street.

"I'm sorry for last night, I didn't mean to disturb you…" she lowered her head in shame. It was very unladylike for her to present herself that way, but she was vulnerable. She just wanted to forget about his blistering anger even if it was for an evening.

"How much of last night do you remember?" He asked plainly.

"I recall Shisui and some of the knights escorting me back here, going to your room…singing…" she felt her face heat up even more as she added "…loudly…" Then she hesitated as she debated with herself if she would bring up. She had no doubt that he thought she wouldn't remember. "That's all."

_Probably not._ An involuntary smile grew.

"You're not a very good liar, Sakura."

He knew. And she was fine with that.

He sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling well."

"Does your head hurt?"

"A little."

"I'll leave you, then. Breakfast will be served in about an hour."

"I'll be there soon." He nodded and turned to leave. "Sorry…about yesterday night again…" she said louder than she wanted.

He grunted in acknowledgement and continued walking down the hall.

She closed the door and sighed. She fell onto her bed holding her head.

She needed to find something wear, so she walked over to her trunk. Then she realized getting on a dress without the help of a handmaid would be rather difficult.

Minutes passed as she rummaged through her clothing for something that was pretty but wouldn't be too hard to put on by herself. There was a knock, and a familiar voice hummed through the oaken door. "Lady Sakura, dear, I'm here to help you get dressed," Amane sang from the other side.

She opened the door, and Amane presented her with a dark red dress with white sleeves. "To compliment your beautiful hair," the older woman said. She handed Sakura the dress and quickly drew up a bath in a nearby room and assisted Sakura in washing herself.

Eventually, Sakura stood in her dress looking at the mirror, her hair in an intricate pattern, with Amane standing behind her. "You look lovely as always," Amane said, smoothing out Sakura's dress at the sides. "The men will be jealous of Sasuke, I assure you."

"Does everyone know now?"

"Of your betrothal?"

Sakura nodded.

"News travels quickly, my dear."

After one last adjustment to her hair, Amane looked at Sakura through the mirror and gave her the smile she had grown up knowing. "You're lucky Sasuke came to get me."

This made her heart skip a beat. Sasuke had gotten Amane?

"You seem surprised, my lady."

"I'm just…" she sputtered out. "Not used to him being so…" she struggled to find the word to complete her sentence.

"Caring?" Amane offered.

"…Yeah…" Why _was_ he so caring all of sudden? One day he would barely look her in the eye and the next he was checking up on her, and making sure she was able to get the help she needed to get dressed.

"From what Lady Mikoto has told me, Sasuke is more amiable than most people give him credit for." She smiled. "But maybe that's just a mother's bias."

"Maybe so."

Amane gently turned her around, her eyes softening. "And Sakura if there's anything you need to ask, or anything you're unsure of, I'm always here."

"Thank you," she replied as heartfelt as she could. For much of her life, Amane had been more of a mother to her than her actual one. She wasn't too upset about it. She adored the older woman, and she understood that her mother had business to take care of and would not always be around to listen to her gossip, or be there when she injured had her ankle, or listen to her when she had described the young dark-haired boy named Sasuke she met the first time they visited the Uchihas—

The pain flared back into her head. She thought she was rid of the ache after her soothing bath, but she was mistaken it seemed.

"Sakura? Dear?" Amane said, concern in her voice.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…"

"Okay, remember what I said, okay? I'm here for you if you need anything."

"I will."

"Good, now don't keep the keep the family waiting," she replied.

After they left, Sakura gave Amane a quick hug then left for dining area.

The walk was simple, around a few corners, and down a few halls, and she was there and immediately confused. "I'm surprised we're the first ones here." She looked around the room and noticed the lack of anyone else besides Sasuke.

"We aren't. Everyone's already eaten."

The food on Sasuke's plate was untouched.

She hesitantly crossed the room, feeling his eyes bore into her with each step she took. She sat across him, and her eyes drifted to the cup in front of her. In it was a greenish liquid and next to it was a goblet of wine.

"It's an herbal remedy," Sasuke explained, causing her to give him a questioning look. "For your head."

"Thank you," she replied genuinely. Sasuke said nothing in response and began forking his fried eggs.

Just yesterday, Sasuke hadn't even spoken to her until she came to his room a drunken mess. Now he was helping the ache in her head and dining with her. Either he could stand her presence now, or this was some sort of elaborate plot at revenge. And as she drank the liquid, she immediately thought the latter. It was horrid. Her face scrunched at its strong, bitter taste.

"It's an acquired taste," she heard Sasuke pipe.

"And this is supposed to help?" Sakura asked after she finally was able to swallow. It left an awful taste in her mouth, but she supposed that's why Sasuke had wine next to it.

"It's always helped me."

"And this is your recipe?"

"No, it's my mother's, but she taught it to me. I told the cooks, and they had the necessary ingredients."

_He was worried about me._

She flinched as her head throbbed pain, her hand instinctively going to her temples.

"Drink," Sasuke commanded, before eating more of his meal.

She composed herself and in an admittedly very unladylike manner she downed the remedy as fast she could, nearly retching at its putrid taste. It was truly one of the worst things she had tasted in her life. Attempting to compose herself, she put the glass onto the table and took a slow and deliberate drink of the wine.

"Give it time to work."

They ate in silence, and true to Sasuke's word, her headache started to lessen in pain before disappearing all together. It worked fast.

"Has there been word on when we'd be leaving?" She asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"They want us to start packing after we finish eating."

She stabbed the dark sausage on her plate. "How was your night, yesterday?" she asked.

Sasuke stared at her for a while. She could only guess what was going through his mind. "It was fine."

She nodded and hesitantly continued. "Anything interesting happen?"

"No."

She wanted to get to know him, but she hadn't the faintest idea where to start. And he didn't seem the one for small talk so she ceased her questioning and went back to her food. They didn't talk about last night, but Sasuke's response danced in her head and made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

_Probably not_. She smiled to herself.

After their breakfast, Sakura went back to her room to get packed. The servants came and gathered her belongings and went to stow them in the designated wagons and carriages.

Sasuke stopped by her room, and together they walked to the entrance of the town. Lord Kunio and a fair number of townsmen were to wish them safe travels.

"How's your head?"

"Much better. Thank you," she answered as sincerely as possible.

"There's my daughter," she heard her mother say from behind her. Hopefully her parents didn't know about last night's antics. No doubt word had probably reached them though. Something she would be dreading to hear about on the rest of their journey.

"How was breakfast, Sakura?" her mother asked after pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"It was nice," The comfortable silence she and Sasuke had sat in was enough to lessen her headache. Whether Sasuke had thought about that or just chose not to talk to her, she didn't know.

"That's wonderful! We'll be heading out soon, so you two make yourselves comfortable. Your fathers are just talking with Lord Kunio. And thank you, Sasuke, for keeping my daughter company this morning."

"It was my pleasure," he responded politely.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Lady Mikoto was just telling me about this wonderful dress shop she found last time she was in Konoha." And with that bubbly statement her mother left them, and that was when Sakura saw the familiar red-haired girl in the distance keeping to herself.

"Karin!" she called as she walked up to her.

Karin turned around and shot her a small smile, and then her smile faltered. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Um…it's nothing," Karin assured. "Just spaced out for a second."

"No worries." Sakura knew there was something more to it than just that, but at the risk of prying she ignored it. "Uh…Sasuke this is Karin. I met her last night." She wasn't even sure he even cared, but she continued, lacking a bit of confidence. "And Karin this is…uh…Sasuke." She took a step to the side to allow them to do their greetings, but the two of them stared at each other in silence.

"Your betrothed?" Karin spoke eventually.

"Yes. This is him."

"A pleasure to meet you…my lord," Karin said almost flippantly. She gave a small curtsey and never once removed her eyes from him. It was as though they were having a silent battle.

Sasuke gave only a nod. He turned and started walking toward the others. "I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes." So maybe he didn't care.

"Sorry about that. He isn't very social." The last part was in a hushed voice.

"I can tell. So you guys are leaving, huh?"

"Yeah, will you be at the tourney?"

"I'll try to make it. No promises though."

A try is all she wanted. Karin might be her only female friend, and she didn't want to lose that again.

She wasn't highborn. She liked to read. Her favorite color was red. Her favorite food was venison. She was fiery. She didn't talk much.

Karin was nothing like Ino. She couldn't tell if that was bad thing.

Her heart clenched at the name. After their parents had falling out, they had never seen each other again. It had been so long since she had seen her childhood friend. She wondered if she would see her at the tourney. She wondered if Ino remembered her.

The next thing Karin did took Sakura by surprise. She pulled her into a hug, and whispered. "I'm so sorry, Sakura."

"Sorry? About what?" she asked, wrapping her arms around the redhead. Karin buried her head into the crook of Sakura's neck and didn't answer for what seemed like an eternity.

Karin broke the hug and gave her a sad smile. "…For if I can't go."

"Sakura we're about to head out!" her father's voice called out from behind her.

"I hope you can, Karin." She meant it.

"I hope so, too."

* * *

**Naruto Uzumaki**

It was their third day in Konoha. He still remembered every corner, nook and cranny, the city had to offer.

Naruto had been raised in an orphanage in the slums of the city. A corner near the east wall, a designated place for the poor to congregate. That was his home for ten years until the king had knocked on the door of the orphanage. He still remembered how he and his six royal bodyguards that flanked him looked in stark contrast to the grime around them. The guards' green cloaks hung from their frame almost triumphantly. Hiruzen had taken him in, and Kakashi had trained him under his tutelage with Sasuke Uchiha. At one time the two were rivals, friends, even. He wasn't too sure what he was to Sasuke anymore.

Four years later, Jiraiya had seen potential in him and offered to train Naruto himself. And so they had trained and traveled around the country and to parts of the world. Naruto had always found himself extremely lucky that the king had found whatever hidden potential he might have had. He truly didn't feel special in the slightest.

He and Jiraiya had found an inn to stay at. It was a warm and cozy place. Several tables were on the inside. The occupants busying their time with cards or simply drinking and chatting.

The two of them sat opposite each other a table in between, and his fingers fidgeted on the wooden piece in front of him.

He moved it.

"An illegal move, Naruto."

"Argh! There's so many rules to this," he hung his head dejectedly. They were playing what Water country called Conquest. Earth country called it Two Divisions. The Land of Fire called it Chess.

Jiraiya had been teaching Naruto the game when they first arrived at the inn. He saw the skillfully carved wooden pieces and couldn't resist. Naruto on the other hand wished he were honing his skills.

"Can't we go train or something?"

"Not all battles are contests of strength but of bodyand mind. And this…" he gestured to the board, "helps the mind."

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh and gazed back at the pieces. The objective was to capture the enemy king, and his looked to be safe. So he moved the knight. He could 'check' the king the next turn.

Jiraiya moved his piece swiftly. "Check."

Naruto smirked. He had anticipated that move. From his king's position he could move it out of harm's way which he did.

Jiraiya moved his queen. "Check."

Naruto squinted his eyes and studied the board. The rook and queen were bearing down on him. If he moved, the knight could get him. If he placed his rook in the way, the bishop could take it.

"Will I lose no matter what move I make?" Naruto asked, sure that he would.

"You're correct, it is a mate in two, and at most, a mate in three."

"Sure…" he wasn't completely aware of the terminology Jiraiya just said, but what he was sure of was that this game was over.

He stood from his spot and stretched, eager to do something else. "I think I'm going to head out for a bit."

"Oh? You sure you don't want to do one more?" A sly grin grew across his teacher's lips.

He really didn't, but Naruto would love to wipe that look off his Jiraiya's face. The competitive side took over in him almost instantly, and he began setting the pieces on their respective squares.

They were about to begin the next game when Naruto saw a small slip of paper fall onto the chess board. He was confused. Where had it come from? He looked around and noticed that man that had just slip out the inn.

Jiraiya grabbed hold of the paper. His eyes quickly read over it.

"The guy who just left must have been one of Orochimaru's men."

Naruto had seen and spoken with Orochimaru plenty of times during his life within the castle. He knew who Orochimaru was. More so than most. He knew that Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and lady named Tsunade were all personally trained under King Hiruzen at a young age. Jiraiya talked little of the two, but what was told to Naruto was that Tsunade was last seen in Takigakure—but that was nearly a decade ago. Jiraiya didn't know where she was now. And neither did anyone else.

But Orochimaru was here in Konoha. Where he had been for several years. Jiraiya had only said a few things about him, but one that stuck out to Naruto was to be weary around him, and that it was hard to know what his true intentions were.

His teacher let out a soft sigh. "I have to go the castle, Naruto. I'll be back soon."

"Let me go with you. I'm bored."

He relented easily which made Naruto gave a wide grin. "Then shall we take a stroll?"

.

.

.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, he took note of the large amount of people in it. Even though, the room was a grand and spacious, it was crowded more than usual no doubt because of the upcoming tourney. There was a balcony that stretched around the inside perimeter and descended onto an ornate landing connected to the floor staircase. The room had many doors that led to the hallways and corridors of the castle. The most notable being the double doors on the landing leading directly to the throne room.

Naruto saw the white hair of a familiar face coming toward them. "Kakashi!" he yelled across the crowd. Naruto didn't miss the small smile that extended across Kakashi's face.

"Please, don't yell, Naruto. You're too loud," Kakashi said as he walked toward the two, but his smile stayed the entire time.

A wide grin grew across his features. He had missed this man.

"Naruto it's been a while, hasn't it?" Kakashi asked. "Five whole years. You sure have grown."

The last time Naruto had seen the knight-captain was when he was fourteen, before he left with Jiraiya to be trained, to explore the world, to find a living out there. He had missed his old teacher. Even though he was orphaned at birth, he was still given the chance to train under one of the best knights in all of the land. He never understood why, but he didn't complain.

"Is Sasuke competing in the tourney?" He blurted out without a second thought.

Kakashi gave him a look that made Naruto wish he never asked.

"He is. I talked with him earlier today."

"He's here?! How is he?"

"He's doing well. He arrived last night, and he's staying in the castle. I'm sure I can arrange something with King Hiruzen to have you two stay here as well."

He didn't know if he could face Sasuke. He didn't know if he would be ready to talk to him. It had been so long. "Um…I don't think that'll be—"

"—That's unnecessary, we've already found a cozy little inn to stay in," Jiraiya interrupted.

Naruto didn't give a response and silently thanked his mentor for stepping in.

"That's a shame," Kakashi said. "If you would like to stay here, all you have to do is ask. The tourney starts in two days, so I have a lot of work that needs to be done. I'll be sure to talk with you later, Naruto, Jiraiya."

Just as Kakashi turned to walk down one of the hallways, Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh yes…Before you go, Kakashi do you happen to know where Orochimaru is?" Jiraiya asked, features turning serious. The air between the three of them seemed stiff.

Kakashi didn't answer immediately. His eyes locked with Jiraiya's as though they were having a silent conversation. A sigh escaped his former teacher's lips. "He's probably in his chambers," Kakashi finally answered. "Do you remember where that is?"

"Yeah."

Kakashi gave a silent nod. "Okay, then, Naruto I hope to see you do well at the tourney. Come stop by anytime. I have some work to be done." He extended his hand, and Naruto gave it a firm shake and so did Jiraiya. Kakashi left down one of the hallways.

"Naruto I have business to take care of with Orochimaru. Sorry but you can't come with me."

"What the hell that was on that paper?"

"I'll tell you when I get back. In the meantime, go explore Konoha it's been while since you've been here." Jiraiya offered a smile, and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You're buying dinner tonight," he grumbled as he walked back out of the castle.

He took to king's street as he left the castle gates. He might find something at the markets to buy. He had saved up some money and since he was here he might as well look around.

As he entered the town square, he saw people gathered around in one of the quadrants, cheering and shouting. An applause erupted from the crowd. Curious, he made his way over and pushed through to better see. He saw a man struggle to his feet as his burly opponent above him flexed his muscle. Near the edge of the circle a scrawny bearded man shouted "Come one! Come all! See if you can knock down my buddy here. If you do, you'll get ten whole gold pieces! Our friend here wasn't able to get the job done!" He gestured to the defeated man as he limped his way out of the circle formed by the crowd. "But I'm sure one of you will be more than enough! Come on! Is this all the Land of Fire has to offer?!" The bearded one said, the crowd booed in response. "All it takes is five silver pieces, and you'll have a chance to win _ten_ gold pieces!"

His beady eyes glanced around until it locked eye with Naruto. "You, young man! Why not have a go?!"

Naruto held up his hands in defense and let out a nervous laugh. "Heh heh, n-no thanks!"

"Aw that's a shame! A shame that Fire Country has cowards for young men!" Naruto was no coward. His anger boiled over.

"Hey! You listen here—"

"I will accept your challenge!" a voice interrupted as he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Oh? A challenger! Step in the center, young man, step in!"

The young man's hair was cut into the shape of a bowl, and his large eyes stared at his opponent as he entered the center of the crowd. But what really caught Naruto's attention was not his confidence in his stride, nor the lean muscle on his arm—but his eyebrows.

And damn, were they huge.

"That will be five silvers," the man said, a shrewd grin on his face.

Bushy brows reached into his pockets and placed five shiny, silver coins into the bearded man's palm.

"Tell the crowd your name, young man!" he shouted, putting the silver in a small pouch stuffed with coins.

"My name is Rock Lee!" His expression was serious and his eyes never left his opponent's.

However, the crowd found humor in the spectacle before them. Naruto could hear snickering coming from different parts. He could understand why. The burly man seemed to have thoroughly beaten his previous opponent without so much as breaking a sweat from what Naruto could tell.

"Rock Lee, huh? That's a peculiar name, but I'm not one to judge," the bearded man replied, shrugging his shoulders, the grin still on his lips. "The rules are simple! The first to be downed by their opponent loses!"

"This kid's going to get crushed," Naruto heard from his left.

"Man, I feel bad for him." From his right.

"This won't last a second."

"Who's that boy think he is?"

"_I _could beat this guy."

"Hurry up and beat this kid so the next person can try!"

"Do we really have to watch this—"

"Arrrgh! Beat his ass, Lee!" Naruto shouted as loud as he could. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You heard it from the young man over there, you two! He and this crowd, wants to see some action! Let's get this show on the road!"

The bigger man ran at Lee, his arm was cocked back ready to deliver blow to his face. Naruto reared back squinting as he waited for the fist to connect. But it didn't. Lee's movement was swift. He quickly dodged, and using the man's momentum, he grabbed hold of his wrist and effortlessly slung him over his hip and onto the ground with a resounding thud.

As quickly as the match began, it ended.

The crowd was silent, and so was Naruto. The entire fight lasted less than ten seconds. Who was this guy?

The crowd suddenly erupted into a cheer. Lee offered the downed man his hand which was promptly smacked away.

"To hell with you," came his deep surly voice. He quickly lifted himself to his feet. "Pay him and let's get outta here."

The smaller man put his bag of coins in Lee's hands and swiftly the two made their way through the crowd. Different people came up to Lee and congratulated him, and others apologized. Eventually the crowd dissipated as soldiers moved through the to investigate the cause of the commotion.

"Hey! Lee!" Naruto shouted, walking up to him. "Wow, you're really good."

"Thank you. I hope to prove myself at the tourney. Will you be attending?"

"Of course! I wanna prove myself, too!" He had been called many names growing up in the slums as an orphan. Trash, degenerate, a street rat. He hoped those people remembered his name and face when he becomes champion of the tourney. Extending his hand, he introduced himself. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Lee promptly shook it with a wide smile. "That is a nice name. I'm glad I could meet you, Naruto. Unfortunately, I must get back to training. I plan on running the city's perimeter by sundown."

_The city's perimeter? That's insane._

Lee took the small bag of gold pieces he acquired and pushed it to Naruto. "Here," he said earnestly.

Naruto eyed the bag quizzically and promptly shoved it back. "I can't take this. It was your fight. You won fairly."

"I do not want it, and I truly have no need for it," Lee insisted.

"If you really don't want it…then I guess I could take it," Naruto muttered unsurely.

"That is what I had hoped for." He placed the bag into Naruto's hands. He then began jogging away. "I hope to see you at the tourney, Naruto!" he shouted, while turning around giving a thumbs up.

"You can count on it Lee!" he shouted back, receiving weird stares from the people around him, but he couldn't bother to care. He just made ten gold from doing absolutely nothing. He wasn't too sure if Lee was extremely generous, or just extremely dense.

.

.

.

With the coin he acquired earlier from Lee, he walked to the markets, just north of the coliseum and overlooking the sea. The saltiness of the air was something he had missed. It had been a while since he had last seen the sea. He had always wanted to sail on it, always wanted to know what it felt like. Whether it would be to Kiri, Suna, or it would be to visit the untouched ruins of Uzushiogakure. It was something that he wouldn't mind doing in his life, but as of now, he didn't see himself pursuing it any time soon.

Then he saw her, a beautiful girl with pink hair that looked of cherry blossoms. She tucked a lock behind her ear as she perused the stall she was at. He didn't know if he noticed her because of how she gracefully drifted from stand to stand, or due to her delicate and unique hair color. Should he go and introduce himself? Maybe venture over to a stand she was at?

When it came to women, his confidence wasn't the best, so he was about to settle on the latter when a lean, young man with dark hair move to her side. A friend? A lover? As they turned around to leave the merchant they were at, he was able to get a good look of his face.

He knew that face anywhere, even when it was slightly aged. The way his jaw set. The way his eyes seemed to examine everything around him. The confidence in his gait as he moved. Even after five years, he never forgot the face of Sasuke Uchiha.

He and Sasuke had trained under the guidance of Kakashi Hatake for a good year when they were twelve. The two of them used to bicker and compete with each other over the smallest of things. Who could eat the fastest? Who could do a hundred laps first? He never understood why he, an orphan from birth, was training with Kakashi, one of the best knights in Fire Country, and Lord Fugaku Uchiha's second son, Sasuke Uchiha. It dumbfounded each time he had thought about it then, and each time he thought about it now. Though certainly at one point, he considered Sasuke his best and closest friend. He still did. He knew Sasuke well though, and he was sure 'friend' wasn't anywhere near the first word the Uchiha would use to describe Naruto.

They were walking away. Should he speak to them? He and Sasuke didn't part on good terms, and he had always regretted it. The more he contemplated going up to their retreating forms, the more he realized he was a coward.

Sasuke and the beautiful girl with the pink hair disappeared behind a wave of people, and Naruto finally lost track of them.

He clenched his fists.

_Why am I so afraid?_

Naruto spent the rest of the day looking through the market. Eventually the sun found its way below the walls of the castle, and he back to the inn, ignoring Jiraiya's worried look as he entered. He hadn't bought anything. his mind was too muddled with thoughts of Sasuke and the girl.

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha **

After they had left the small town, it wasn't long before they arrived in Konoha, the dawn two days before the tourney. Though by now it wasn't a surprise to anyone that the Uchiha arrived as one of the last few.

Sasuke had been to the city plenty of times before. Some to watch Itachi or Shisui in a tourney, and other times to get personally trained by the head captain of Konoha's knights, Kakashi Hatake. No doubt due somehow to his father. But now he was here for his own tourney, and he couldn't tell if the feeling he felt in his stomach was his nerves or excitement.

He had been in Konoha for a day before he decided to go to one of the training rooms in the castle. He was doing practice swings when he heard the door open.

"It's good to see you training," his brother stated, walking into the room. "But be sure not too wear yourself out.

"I'll be fine." He didn't plan on doing a massive workout, just one to distract him from the feeling in his stomach. "What do you want?" He was sure Itachi wasn't here to simply to check if he was practicing or not.

Itachi walked around him to the rack of wooden swords and closed his fingers lightly closing around the hilt. He gave it a practice swing and another.

Sasuke gave him a confused look.

"You wish to practice, right? I'll be your sparring partner." He reached over for one of the wooden shields and tossed one to Sasuke after donning his own.

Sasuke hooked the shield around his arm. It had been a while since he last sparred with his brother. He knew Itachi was one of the most proficient knights in the Land of Fire. Training with him was a prospect any squire would dream for. He smirked and took a firm stance.

Itachi quickly advanced on him swinging his wooden sword against Sasuke's. His strike was fast and immediately he went for another swing but this time at Sasuke's side, though it was deflected by his shield.

"Good reaction," Itachi praised.

"Thanks."

Sasuke wasted no time shifting forward and jabbing his sword. Itachi took the point to his shield, pushed it aside, and swung at his neck. Sasuke blocked the full brunt of the hit on his shield.

They clashed hits for what seemed a long time. Itachi was patient in his movement. Itachi circled him like a bird at its prey, waiting for a time a to strike. A feint low, a missed cut to the throat.

Sasuke could feel the strain of his workout finally start to show. The sweat traced down his back, and his breathing started to strain. But Itachi stood tall with no sign of physical drain showing.

His brother bounded towards him and came down with a powerful swing. Sasuke felt the blow resonate throughout his arm as his hands stung at the force as they clashed. Itachi reeled back ready to deliver another forceful hit, and that's when Sasuke pinpointed his opening. Sasuke swung at Itachi's right side expecting a clean hit—but only felt air.

A second later, he was tripped to the ground and felt an immense weight fall on his back. His weapon fell from his hand, and the point of a wooden sword tapped the back of his neck.

"You must be more patient Sasuke," Itachi explained, removing himself from him. "Especially when it's your life on the line."

Sasuke let out a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.

"This is truer when you're tired. You'll start seeing openings that aren't there just to end the fight sooner. Don't fall into that trap."

"You led me to believe I had an opening, didn't you?"

"You're correct."

He frowned. Of course he did. Itachi wasn't the person to leave his weaknesses so glaringly obvious, and Itachi exploited his. He dragged the match out waiting for the exhaustion to set in.

"You did well having just finished part of a workout."

"Yeah, yeah," Sasuke said returning the equipment to the appropriate racks. "Will you be attending the festival tonight?" He asked just before walking out the room.

"Unfortunately, no. Father wants to go over a few things with me before the tourney."

Sasuke nodded and shut the door behind him slightly angered at his performance.

.

.

.

The night before the tourney was one of festivities as was tradition.

He could hear the muffled sounds of the beating of drums and the cheering of crowds as the small parade went through King Street.

Sasuke wasn't one for loud noises or festivals, so he had taken to the gardens, sat on a bench, and buried his face in a book under the soft candlelight overhead. Honestly, he wanted to go back in one of the training rooms and practice more, but he knew better than to tire himself out the night before the tourney.

He turned the page of _The History of Konohagakure Vol. I_. The book drawled on about the battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju all those centuries ago and about how the Senju and Uchiha shaped the Land of Fire into the nation it was today through a tentative peace treaty between the two houses.

"I thought I would find you here," a soft and gentle voice said in front of him. His mother was dressed in a dark and elegant dress, and her hair was done in an intricate pattern and was allowed to fall freely over her shoulder.

She silently sat next to him before eventually asking with a sad smile. "Are you angry with me?"

He put the book down. Sasuke could count on one hand how many times he was genuinely angered by his mother. He loved her more than she probably thought or knew.

"No, mother."

She paused before continuing. "What about your father?" Him on the other hand.

"I'm not angry him," he lied.

She gave him a knowing look and said. "Have I ever told you that I couldn't stand your father when I first met him."

"Really?" It was hard to believe the sweetest person he knew could hold anger toward anyone.

She chuckled. "Don't look so surprised."

"I'm sorry I just…" he struggled to think of a way to word his thoughts, "can't see you disliking Father."

"It's true. The first time we met we were young. I was thirteen and he was eighteen. He got into a fight about our betrothal with your uncle. He broke his nose."

It wasn't often his mother spoke of her brother as it always saddened her. He had died to an illness when Sasuke was young. He vividly remembered her mournful sobs in night in the days following his death. But he was a young child and ignorant to what death truly was. To him, his uncle suddenly had stopped visiting and only after a while did he really understand what that meant.

"I loved my brother and to see him assaulted by your father was enough for me to hate him. At that point I vowed I would never fall for him. But if there's one thing he is, it's stubborn. After we married, he took me out under the stars and treated me like I was the only woman in the world. He had an entire prepared meal laid out on the field outside of our castle. Red wine, veal, pheasant, quail, pork. I don't think I've eaten more in my life." Her laugh was like bells. "Did you know your father can sing, Sasuke? It's very beautiful. He sang a tune he had written for me. It reminded me of the stories I read as a child of knights singing to princesses, and I couldn't help but smile. I broke the vow I made to myself. I kissed him."

Picturing his father doing any of this was hard. Being romantic was not something he could ever imagine his father doing. That and singing.

"I love your father. I know many people who are in loveless marriages, and I'm glad I'm not one them. But…" A smile lit up her face. "Do you know what I love about your father the most?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"He gave me you and Itachi."

He asked softly. "…Why are you telling me all of this?"

"I'm telling you because I just want you to try."

Sasuke remained silent, as his mother leaned over and gently kissed his forehead. As she walked away he wanted to tell her that he _was_ trying, but the words never left his mouth.

He left the gardens and returned the book to castle's library. The walk to her chambers was short, and moments after he knocked on the door, it opened, revealing her confused face.

"Why aren't you at the parade?" he asked genuinely curious. He truly didn't expect her to still be here, thinking the knock would have been unanswered.

"I don't know. I hadn't planned on going." Sakura looked him over. "And from the looks of it, you hadn't either."

"Do you want to?"

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Together they watched the large parade go by. They didn't speak to each other, but the silence between them was comfortable. Horses drew large wooden platforms behind them with drummers and exotic dancers on each. He watched her eyes light up as a collection of men breathed fire to the beat of drums.

"Sasuke! There you are!" he heard Shisui yell as he felt his arm drape across his shoulder. He smelled the alcohol on his breath. "And Sakura, too!"

"Shisui!" Sakura gleefully shouted at his arrival.

"Sakura you look lovely as normal," he replied removing himself from Sasuke and moving to her.

"Thank you!" She began having an animated conversation with Shisui about how she was enjoying Konoha and other topics.

It was strange to Sasuke that he was the one to marry this girl. When he looked at how the interaction unfolded between her and Shisui, or even her and Itachi, it seemed so natural. But Shisui was not his father's son, but his deceased uncle's. The Harunos might see it as a disservice to not have Sakura wed to one of the two sons of Fugaku Uchiha. So what of Itachi? Perhaps his father wanted a bigger catch than the Harunos.

The booming of drums and the spectacle of the fire show shook him from his thoughts. The light caught something around her neck, and that was when he realized that she was wearing the necklace he reluctantly picked out for her yesterday at the market as suggested by his brother. The emeralds were much like her eyes in the way the flames danced in them, giving a warm contrast.

The parade had moved to the city square where all of the dancers moved in sync with the rhythm of the drums as the fire breathers created patterns in the sky. Cheers came from the crowd as the performers began juggling torches. The night sky illuminated in an orange glow.

Through the midst of the excitement, Shisui had slipped away because when he turned to look back at them, he found only the girl with pink hair. Sakura cheer and clapped with the crowd when torches started being thrown from one juggler to another. The combination of dancers, fire breathers, and jugglers was mesmerizing. As the beat quickened, the dancers moved more, the streams of fire became larger, the torches flew farther and higher. Then everything stopped with a resounding strike of drums.

The audience roared with approval. Sakura was laughing and cheering next to him, her necklace sparkling from the fire.

Eventually the festival ended, and the streets were filled with whores and drunkards stumbling around. On their way back to the castle, Sakura talked about how incredible the performance was and how exhilarating it felt. Then the location of Shisui's whereabouts came up.

"He's probably at a brothel by now," he joked lightly.

"I swear I saw him with a lady stumbling into one," she replied without skipping a beat. The image of his cousin a drunken mess was enough to make him smirk. He didn't miss the way Sakura's lips curled into a smile as she looked forward.

"This was your first festival?" It was a question but it came out as more of a statement.

"My father has thrown many parties at the castle but none comparing to this size and splendor." Her eyes lit up as she explained. "I've always wanted to go to the Festival of Dancing Tree Leaves, but my father…" she trailed off. She didn't need to finish. Sasuke knew how it would end.

The Festival of Dancing Tree Leaves was a week-long celebration that happened once per year near the latter half of spring. It was to commemorate the history of Konoha, and many people from all over came. The first time Sasuke had gone it was admittedly an incredible experience. He remembered being hoisted onto his brother's shoulders and pointing out different vendors to go to—and one of the few memories of his father smiling at him.

It hit him at that moment that by the time that festival happened again, they would be married.

"Maybe we'll go at some point," he said softly.

Sakura turned to look at him. "That would be nice."

He was trying.

* * *

**The Angel**

As comfortable as it might have been, she hated this throne.

She had always wondered why the first people who had built Ame had done so where it rained so frequently. Was it on a whim? Or had they found enjoyment from the rain as she did.

The pattering of rain on the windows was like a hypnotic song sang by mythical she read about when she was younger. In simpler days. Days where she hadn't led a revolution and overthrew the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander. Days where she didn't lead Amegakure.

This throne was so different from what she was used to.

She looked back soldiers who took a collective bow and threw the young boy before her, landing just short of the lowest step leading to the throne.

"This boy here has been defaming the Akatsuki's name across city. Mostly within the northern districts."

The boy's hands and feet were bound, and he was squirming on the floor, attempting to find footing. When he was finally able to stand, one of her men quickly kicked him back onto his stomach.

"What do you want done to him?" he asked.

The boy's eyes were fierce. She knew eyes like that. They reminded her of Yahiko. The fire and passion that blazed in his eyes. He couldn't have been more than his early teens.

"I could rip out his tongue if you'd like," one of the soldiers offered, a smirk growing.

"Do it if you must! But I've already told the people of your corrupt ways!"

"And who do the people know you as?" she asked.

"I'm of House Watanabe! Their youngest son!" His voice was getting louder, and she could see the hate in his eyes. She was all too familiar with eyes like those. "You killed my family! The Akatsuki deserve to be put down like the dogs they are! Their heads on pikes!" He looked her dead in the eye. Tears were rolling down his cheeks now. "And you do as well, _Angel_." The last part he snarled. One of her soldiers immediately stomped on him, causing him to hack and wheeze.

One of her men took out his dagger and put it near the boy's mouth, the weight of him clearly too much for the boy. "Let me cut out that tongue of his, my lady," the soldier said.

If only for an instant, the boy's eyes widened, and then they were replaced with the cloud of his hate. He couldn't hide the fear in his eyes from her though, no matter how hard he wanted to. She could see it behind the fiery rage in them.

"Do you have a horse, youngest son of House Watanabe?"

He seethed out his response. "It was slaughtered during the uprising."

"Then a horse will be brought to you. You will ride out of city before nightfall, and you won't return. If you are brought back here because you failed to do so, you will have a much worse fate."

"You're lucky she's merciful," she heard the man whisper to boy. The soldier removed himself and hoisted him to his feet.

The men left, and the boy slinked out of the room, following close behind. She had no intention of harming the child any more than she already had done.

She wondered how many Hanzo had sentenced to death from this chair.

She still clearly remembered the expression on his face as she, Yahiko, and Nagato, entered this throne room, his death the only thing on their minds. The king's face held an eerie expression, one of a man that knew his fate, and the smile he held as Yahiko plunged the blade through his heart made her grimace. In his last moments, Hanzo had been smiling.

His body was buried within the tombs of the castle as to fulfill the wish on his dying breath, even though she knew that he would have not done them the kindness had the roles been reversed. The three of them, and all of those involved in the uprising would have had their heads on pikes to be paraded around the streets and placed near the city gates—as he did with many innocents he thought had threatened his rule.

More men entered through the large double doors opposite the throne and proceeded to her. They took a collective bow before they began. "Lady Konan, the spies we sent to meet with the Konoha envoy were discovered. The assassination was a failure. Haru was killed, and Inori was taken prisoner. Yudachi was able to escape unharmed and returned here. They didn't suspect him."

"Where is he now?"

"He is with his family. He was able to slip away after the envoy had begun returning to Konoha. He claimed no one noticed."

"Very well. I will give him time to rest and speak with him tomorrow. Is there anything more to report?"

"Yes, actually. The man in charge was a young one, Shikamaru Nara, son to Shikaku Nara, a member of King Hiruzen's royal bodyguard." She had heard plenty about Shikaku before. His intellect and strategic planning was hailed throughout the land. He had been essential in the Land of Fire winning the war against the Land of Earth all those years ago. She had heard talk of his son, but she hadn't paid too much attention to it. Maybe she should have.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing more," he replied. She nodded and dismissed them.

Her most loyal soldiers, the ones that had first allied themselves with the Akatsuki's cause eagerly served and waited hand and foot on her. They referred to her as 'The Angel.' The first time she had been called that she didn't care for it. She told them to stop, and they did. They hadn't called her by that since the first time they did, at least not to her face. But as she would walk through the streets of Ame she would hear whispers of that name.

"The Angel's coming," she would hear from windows and from the men and women on the street.

At times, the younger children would sometimes run to her and give her gifts of food, coin, or of apparel. It was a strange for her. At first she had declined them. They needed it more than she. But the hurt on their face broke her, and she accepted them. Now, the gifts she received went to the orphanages found in the city and to the needy. She knew all too well about how truly impoverished some places were in Ame.

As she moved to leave the throne, a figure stepped through the door. His fiery hair contrasting the darkness around him.

"Yahiko, you're back. We must go over a few things."

He made no response, his steps echoing throughout the large room as he approached. He ascended the small steps, and she could feel the small tugs of a smile forming as he bent down and pressed his lips softly against hers.

He pulled back, and she immediately missed the warmth his lips brought. "Konan," he breathed, "it's hard to kiss you when you're smiling, y'know"

"This is serious," she attempted to say, but it came out much quieter and lighter than she planned.

"I can't help it."

"Where were you?"

"I was with Nagato at the orphanages. He's still there, so it's just us now," he replied huskily. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt the warmth pool between her legs. In any other situation she would make no hesitation to act on it, but right now was not the case.

She gave him a gentle push. "Yahiko, we received word from the party we sent to infiltrate Konoha's envoy. Only Yudachi made it back." This made him straighten. His previous playful manner had disappeared.

"Where is he now?"

"With his family."

"What of Haru and Inori?"

"Haru was killed. Inori captured." She could see the pain flash across his eyes. "They volunteered for the mission. They knew the risks going in," she continued in an attempt to comfort him. Inori had volunteered in earnest when they learned of Konoha's envoy that was being sent to aid the nobles, and as a result, Haru volunteered as well. She had never wanted to send an assassination team out, but the high ranking soldiers and many of the city folk had wanted it. She couldn't have refused them. Yahiko and Nagato couldn't have refuse them. At least that's what she told herself.

Now she had more blood on her hands.

"We should have never sent them."

"The people wanted it, Yahiko."

He said nothing, only running a frustrated hand through his short, orange hair.

"If it's what must be done to achieve peace," she continued softly, "then we should do it without hesitation."

He was silent for what seemed like an eternity. "How can I face their families?"

"With me by your side."

The loud creak of the large double doors captured their attention.

The guards that entered had a young man in tow.

Ajisai stepped forward. She had been with them near the start of the revolution. During first stages of planning, the merchant girl whose parents had been killed by Hanzo's men had loyally stuck with them. "Lord Yahiko, Lady Konan, this man says that he has an urgent request. He says he is a messenger. He has the Konoha Council's seal." She held up a small envelope, with the seal staring back at them.

Yahiko stepped towards them and took the paper, broke the seal, and started to read.

"Thank you, please leave him here," he said his eyes finding the soldier's gaze after a while.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but I believe that our presence for means of protection may be the best course of action."

"This man is no assassin. We have no need for protection," Yahiko replied evenly.

Ajisai looked uncertain and hesitated before she spoke again. "He…he is from Konoha! It's clear that they do not support our cause!"

"While we appreciate your concern, Ajisai, we are in no danger." Konan understood the hesitation in allowing this man to be alone with the two of them, but she trusted Yahiko's judgment.

The other soldiers turned to look at their captain who finally relented with a hesitant bow. "I apologize for my behavior."

Konan nodded her head and dismissed them, leaving her and Yahiko alone with the messenger. She stood and motioned for him to follow as Yahiko he entered one of the two doors that flanked the throne.

They navigated the hallways to a small room with a desk and four chairs. The light of the clouded sun poured as the rain tapped on the paned window.

She and Yahiko sat down. The messenger stood.

"Hello," he said, a smile forming across his lips, one that did not quite reach his eyes. His skin was as pale as paper, and his hair was as dark as ink.

"Are you choosing to stand during this? Will you not sit?" asked Yahiko a bit impatiently.

"It's impolite to sit before being invited to do so," he remarked. "At least that is what I've been told. It would make since that you two would forget of this custom. You are quite new at—" he gestured around him "—all of _this_, right? You supplanted Hanzo's rule only a few weeks ago. It would only make sense you'd be unaware of the practices of the highborn."

Yahiko's face was marred by a frown at his snide response.

"You are free to sit if you wish," Konan replied calmly.

"Thank you." Smiling, he took the seat opposite them.

"I should assume you are one of Danzo's agents?" Yahiko asked.

"You would be correct."

"And what is your name?"

"You may call me Sai."

"Then let's get to business, Sai." He was dead serious now. She had grown to miss how often his cheery smile would light up a room.

"Where is Nagato?" Sai asked, the smile still was plastered on his face.

"He is visiting the orphanages. We will inform him of whatever you have told us today," she replied.

His smile disappeared just as quickly as it grew. Sai was expressionless at this point. "As you wish."

The pieces had been set. There was no turning back now. She closed her eyes.

_For peace. _

.

.

.

Late that night she heard the door to her bedroom creak slowly open and her heart jumped to her throat. An assassin?

She quickly shoved Yahiko next to her for him to awaken while forcing her eyes to adjust to the moonlit room. He mumbled incoherently as he draped an arm around her waist.

"Mother, father," the familiar voice of a young boy whined.

She exhaled a sigh of relief, embarrassed of her first thoughts. Her eyes softened and a small smile spread across her lips. She sat up and spoke softly, "What's wrong, Kai? Bad dream?"

The seven-year-old nodded weakly.

Konan patted the space next to her and Yahiko. Kai climbed over her and positioned himself under the blankets between them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as to not wake his father.

She ruffled his light brown hair and gently shushed him. "It's okay, try to get some sleep."

While she had not birthed Kai, she considered him her son. She and Yahiko had taken him from their childhood orphanage two years ago and loved him as much as any parent could love their child.

Konan lay in bed lost in thought until she felt Kai's breathing even out as he fell asleep. She looked across at Yahiko's sleeping face and couldn't help the smile that grew across her own.

_For peace._

* * *

**.**

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* * *

_Lots of Sakura this chapter, so I hope you liked it. _

_Also I love Chess. I just love it. So it will be a running theme in this story. It won't be prominent but it'll be there. Maybe I can inspire some others to try the game out. Probably not, but you never know._

_In other news, once again, sorry for taking so long. Also can I just say that I had so much fun writing from Konan's POV. I hope you had as much fun reading it. I enjoyed adding more layers to the story. I should also probably say that other chapters probably won't be this long, but if you like long chapters then I hope you enjoyed. As stated before I'm trying to keep the amount of OC characters to a minimum. Kai and Amane will most be the only ones that play a big role (big might be too strong, what's smaller than big but more than small? Medium?). A medium role in the story. Ajisai and Yudachi were characters introduced in the Naruto universe. I'm just going to flesh them out more. And Kakashi will be making an appearance next chapter. As well as Shikamaru and Neji, probably (maybe)._

_Anyway let me know how I did! Leave a review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_So something interesting and rather annoying happened during the span of writing this chapter, I discovered that there was already a person in the series with the name Izumi who was romantically interested in Itachi. As it turns out that character was going to be making an appearance at some point soon, and while I could have both of their names be the same that would be confusing, so I'm not. The young woman captured by Shikamaru has the name Inori now (still close to the original), and it is no longer Izumi. If you're reading this long after, then know that Inori's name was once Izumi. Sorry about that._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Tourney**

* * *

_"The sword was a very elegant weapon in the days of the samurai. _

_You had honor and chivalry much like the knights, and yet it was a gruesome and horrific weapon." _

_-Dustin Diamond_

* * *

**Sakura Haruno**

The tourney grounds were located just west of Konoha's walls. Sakura went with her mother, Amane, and Lady Mikoto in a litter with curtains of silk that made her world red. Her father, Lord Fugaku, Itachi, and Shisui rode ahead on their prized stallions while Sasuke got there before daybreak to prepare for the tourney.

"Are you nervous, Lady Mikoto?" Sakura found herself asking as they moved through the city.

"A little, but Sasuke trains with his brother and Shisui whenever he can. I know that he'll do well and do our house proud," she replied, beaming a beautiful smile at her. Her eyes went to the exposed skin around Sakura's neck where her necklace was. "It looks beautiful. It really matches your eyes."

She made sure to wear the necklace Sasuke had bought her. The emerald pendants looked beautiful in the early morning sunlight. "Thank you. Honestly, I was surprised by Sasuke's eye for jewelry."

Lady Mikoto laughed softly. "I might have told him a few things about it as he grew up." Sakura chuckled at the thought of Sasuke being lectured on the intricacies of jewelry.

"It definitely shows, Lady Mikoto," her mother replied earnestly. "It looks incredible on my daughter." That comment made her blush, and she could hear Amane's quiet laughter next to her.

After they arrived at the grounds she took to the stands and sat beside Amane and her mother. The Uchiha household sat close to them. The tourney would be broken into separate events. All the attendees could not fit within the chosen section of the grounds so only the first hundred to arrive were allowed immediate entry. The remaining contestants were to wait for these hundred to finish. Luckily, Sasuke had gotten there early enough to be granted entrance. She could only imagine the bored look on his face right now.

King Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on an ornate chair near the center of the stands, a golden crown atop his grey hair. Her father had once told her that despite the king's old age he was still as strong as an ox, and every bit as deadly on the battlefield as he was when he was younger. Admittedly, it was hard for her to believe. To his right was his son, Prince Asuma, who sat with a woman with long red hair whose identity she could not place. To his left, was the young prince Konohamaru, who she didn't know much about, only that his mother had died in childbirth and his father, the king's late youngest son, had died to an illness while Konohamaru was still young. Flanking the three of them was Sir Kakashi Hatake, the captain Konoha's knights and a member of the king's royal bodyguard. At home, her father's knights would speak of how fearsome Kakashi was and about his triumphant exploits on the battlefield during the last war. The stories they wove made Kakashi like a legend and seeing him for the first time seemed surreal. The green cloak that wrapped around his armor couldn't have looked more impressive to her.

A trumpet sounded, drawing everyone's attention, and the king rose. "Thank you all for coming today, and to the contestants for competing!" His voice was much louder than Sakura thought possible for the man, and it roared and resonated throughout the field. "And thank you all from the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, Land of Water, Kusagakure, and Takigakure especially! I know the road here was long and arduous, but we here in Konoha deeply appreciate your presence! Hopefully by the end of this fortnight, we will all be one step closer for the peace we wish to achieve. This tourney in particular will be special among the previous. It is my pleasure to tell you that my son, Prince Asuma of House Sarutobi, and Princess Mei of House Terumi of the Land of Water are to be wedded at the end of the fortnight concluding the tourney!" Prince Asuma and Princess Mei stood from their spots and waved to the cheering crowd around them.

The king raised his hand and waited for the crowd to silence. "This is a day that will certainly go down in history and will be a driving force for peace in the coming years! But we are here _today_ for the young men that wish to prove themselves on this historic day, so please may the first contestants take the field!"

Two lanky boys stepped forward and gave very sloppy bows to the applauding crowd. Sir Hayate Gekko stepped out on to the field in between them. The two distanced themselves from each other, and the knight commenced the match.

Her first thought was that they were nowhere near as good as Sasuke. Their swings appeared uncalculated, and they moved almost lazily around each other. It didn't take long for one of them to get a lucky hit to the head, knocking the other on the ground, and claiming his victory.

More pairs of contestants fought with names she would soon forget—then with proud steps, Sasuke took to the field. A squire serviced to House Hyuga stepped on the field when his name was called. The match ended quickly. Their swords clashed only for a few seconds before the squire lost his balance, seeing the opportunity, Sasuke swept his leg and was on top of him in an instant, the dull point of the sword at his opponent's neck. Sir Hayate raised Sasuke's hand announcing him as the victor, and she smiled and clapped for him along with the many row of spectators.

"He definitely knows his way around a sword," her mother praised.

More victors were announced as the tourney went on, a squire from House Uchiha, a squire under the royal House of Suna, a boy from a town south of the city, a squire under the royal House of Suna. The next victor, a squire from the Land of Earth had ruthlessly beat into his downed opponent's face to the point where Sir Hayate and a few other guards pulled him away. She watched his opponent stagger to his feet and walk off the field humiliated.

She heard quiet laughter around her, and she turned back just as the next contestants were called. It was a girl. Princess Temari, daughter of Wind Country's king, Rasa, was up against a round-faced boy from Konoha.

She had heard stories of the female warriors from Wind Country. They were called brutish, and lacked elegance that might have been expected. "Beast with tits," she had overheard one of her father's knights say.

The match commenced, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the way she carried herself. She stood with her side facing the boy, and her unused hand placed behind her back. The tourney sword she used looked much slender than her opponent's. The boy laughed along with the crowd and gave his blade a few uninterested swings in her direction, then he asked Hayate if this was a joke—then the metal sang, and the sword flew from his hands. He quickly retrieved it and was only barely able to meet his blade with hers. Snarling, he slammed his sword onto her. Even though princess's sword looked much lighter than his, she deflected easily, and he went in again attempting to claim his victory with brute force. Temari remained impassive as she dodged and deflected the blade. Her footwork was mesmerizing.

"She's good," she heard her father comment. His eyes never left the field, watching the lithe movement the princess displayed.

The princess started counterattacking. She feinted high, then swung low. A swing right that made his position awkward, then she spun and swung left, barely missing him as he jerked back.

_She moved like the wind_, Sakura thought_._

Temari pressed her attack, not giving an inch, and finally with a flurry of confusing motion her sword found its mark and struck him at the neck, causing him to fall to the ground, coughing as he held his throat in pain. Sir Hayate walked over and raised the princess's hand. "Your winner is Princess Temari from Sunagakure!"

The crowd was silent, and Sakura was sure they had never seen a girl perform so well at a tourney before. Then King Hiruzen started clapping with a smile on his face as he commended her, and beside him Prince Asuma, Princess Mei, and Prince Konohamaru joined as well. Then the spectators joined in a scattered, unsure applause.

More matches passed before Sasuke was up again. He was against a large opponent, and Sakura was scared he would be manhandled. But Sasuke was smart, he danced around the blade just out of reach, tiring the larger boy. His opponent swung at his legs but was too far. Sasuke circled right. His opponent turned in place. Sasuke never removed his eyes from him, and Sakura knew it was because one misstep against someone of that size could speak trouble. Eventually his opponent started throwing desperate hacks, hoping one of them would hit, and Sasuke, similar to a snake, found his opening and attacked, shifting his opponent's weight against him and toppling him to the ground; the blade found his throat. The crowd cheered louder this time, and Sakura heard squeals from girls near her.

The matches continued, and once again Princess Temari captivated Sakura in her movements. She smugly wondered what her father's knights were thinking about as they watched. She looked over to the Uchiha, and she saw Itachi and Shisui speaking softly with each other as they watched the match unfold. Then Shisui turned to her with a smirk, and gave her a short wave, causing her face to heat up. She gave a small wave in reply and quickly turned back to see the princess already victorious over her opponent.

Eventually, Sasuke walked onto the field again for his last match. His opponent was a squire from Water country who she remembered doing well earlier. The match started, and Sasuke and the squire's blades met. For what seemed a long time, the two relentlessly swung at each other, but Sasuke's face was focused like he was calculating his moves. Suddenly, it was as though he knew exactly where and how his opponent would swing. His blade connected with the squire's hand before the blade could even start to move again. The sword slid across the ground, and as the squire hurriedly moved to reach for it, Sasuke had his blade already at his throat. Sir Hayate declared him the victor.

The applause came, and she heard the girls from earlier clapping and cheering his name. She thought they would swoon at the sight of him. Sakura felt a strange pang of possessiveness and caught herself glaring at the them.

"Pay them no mind, my lady," Amane gently chided next to her. Her amused grin didn't go unnoticed by Sakura.

King Hiruzen rose from his spot and declared the first wave of contestants completed and called the names of those who would go on to the next phase that would occur three days from now. Sasuke and Princess Temari were among the sixteen names called. There was an applause, then the grounds were cleared for the next wave of contestants.

.

.

.

When they reached her chambers, her handmaidens bombarded her with question after question on how the tourney went.

"Did you enjoy yourself, my lady?"

"How did your betrothed do?"

"Did you see that the Sand Princess entered the tourney?"

Sakura did her best to answer each question, mildly amused at the girls' excitement as they worked at untying the complicated braid in her hair.

"Sasuke did very well, my lady…" the youngest one spoke.

"He did. It was a relief to see." The butterflies in her stomach only ceased when she saw Sasuke effortlessly defeat his first opponent. She knew how skilled he was, but she didn't really have a clear understanding of his skill compared to other.

"He…" She was shushed before she finished.

"Hush, Moegi," one of the older girls, scolded lightly.

Sakura was curious, though. "Let her speak," she couldn't help but say.

"She's been smitten with Sasuke since she first met him years ago," one of the older girls teased with a smirk.

The girl didn't deny it, but her face turned a dark shade of red at the accusation.

"Oh, Moegi, what would Prince Konohamaru say if he knew your feelings for Sasuke."

"Konohamaru and I are just friends!"

The older girl gave Moegi a knowing look, and Sakura smiled at their banter. "Maybe you should give Sasuke a present."

The rest of the girls went silent. "Really?"

Sakura wasn't sure what she was doing, but maybe she saw her old self in that girl, Moegi. To her, she saw the girl as someone unsure about her feelings. "Everyone likes gifts. I'm sure he's no exception."

"…He's your betrothed. I can't do that…"

Sakura smiled and gave her a playful wink. "You should think about it."

After they retied her hair in a different pattern and helped dress her in a new gown, they all left her chambers except for the younger one who straggled behind. "What…do you think I should get him, my lady?" Moegi asked when they were alone.

Sakura chuckled softly. Moegi reminded Sakura of younger self and how she used to gaze at Sasuke from afar, even asking her father when they would be able to go back to visit the Uchihas. "To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I'm sure he'll appreciate any gift you give him."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely," she assured.

Moegi nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much, my lady." The other handmaidens called for her and she scurried off, bowing hastily as she left.

_She hoped Sasuke would_, is what she should have said because truthfully she didn't know how he would react to the girl. But she found that leaving those thoughts in her head would be for the best.

* * *

**Kakashi Hatake**

Asuma had been missing for nearly four days. Everyone in the castle had been told that he had come down with a sickness and was confined to his chambers until he got better. Of course, Kakashi had an idea where he had gone, but when Kurenai opened the door to her home, she admitted that Asuma had been there, though only stayed for the day and left as night fell. Kakashi had worded his sentences carefully to not hint at the fact that Asuma had been missing for some time. As the days until the tourney wounded down, those who knew about his disappearance only grew more restless.

On the morning of the tourney, however, Asuma had walked into court with his head held tall and confidence in his gait, all the qualities that would befit a prince. The anger and annoyance on the king's face was visible to everyone there.

"We are glad you are feeling better, my son," the king had said slowly.

"I feel _much_ better, Your Grace."

The two had spoken no more and had left soon after for the tourney grounds. Hundreds of contestants crowded around trying to find entrance to the tourney, though only a few were allotted the opportunity to allow for an easier and more organized experience. The first hundred were allowed entrance, the rest were to wait.

Then the king gave his speech and announced Prince Asuma and Princess Mei's betrothal and the eventual wedding at the end of the fortnight. Kakashi let his eyes gaze around him. He could see many shocked expressions, but he also saw glares coming from some highborns, most notably from the Land of Earth. Close to him King Rasa from Wind Country remained impassive and only gave deliberate applause as those around him began to do so.

Asuma and Mei stood and waved to the crowd. Kakashi saw a smile force through the prince's façade. Then the tournament began.

Admittedly, he paid little attention to the matches. He spotted flaws in many of the contestants' posture, sword swing, footwork, and among others. He couldn't help think better swordsmen would exploit them. _Should they find themselves on the battlefield, they would die because of those flaws_. That was until he saw Sasuke Uchiha methodically attack the weaknesses from a boy squired under House Hyuga.

_The boys left block isn't firm enough_, Kakashi would think, and a moment later, Sasuke would swing to the boy's left side harder than before. _His legs are too close_, and Sasuke pushed into him in and threw him off-balance. Sasuke saw the squire's weakness and was taking advantage of them. Sasuke swept the boys legs, and he fell unceremoniously to the ground. Sasuke was on him in a second, the dull sword tip at his throat.

More matches passed, and the princess from Suna surprised everyone the most. Anyone who knew what good swordplay was could see that she possessed talent. Her sideways stance was something that wasn't new to Kakashi. Guy and his squire, Lee, used the style, and during the last war, he saw a fair share of swordsmen from Wind Country utilize the fighting style as well. She was incredibly fluid in her movement. It was King Hiruzen who applauded her victory. There was an unsure applause that emanated from around him, though whispers are what he heard the most. King Rasa only gave a nod as his daughter looked to his direction.

Sixteen contestants from the group eventually went on to the next phase which were told to be begin in three days as the king explained. Then the next round of participants entered, and Kakashi quietly sighed.

The day concluded with half of the tourney's participants having had their matches, they had permitted sixty-four in total to move on the next phase, and tomorrow would be another sixty-four. The grounds had been cleared, and the king and his court had returned to the castle. Asuma had been quiet for nearly rest of the entire day, and Kakashi couldn't help but wonder where he had gone.

"We will speak later, Asuma," the king had told his son before leaving, then it was only he and Asuma within the large throne room.

There was a strained silence between them.

"Where did you go, Asuma?" When the prince did not answer immediately, he added. "I went to see Kurenai and she said you only visited her for a day. You were gone for four."

"It's better that you didn't know."

"Tell me." His voice was stern.

"No." The prince turned to leave, and Kakashi made a move to stop him.

"Asuma—."

"It is not your business to know, Kakashi."

"I am not only charged with protecting the king, but his family as well. Therefore, it is my business."

Asuma shrugged his hand off and didn't look back as he left through the massive double doors.

.

.

.

At the conclusion of the second day of the tourney, he pushed opened the doors to the council's chambers and saw the three members and the king shuffling through papers.

"Glad you could join us, Kakashi," the king said. He nodded and sat in the vacant seat next to Danzo.

"I knew your punctuality would be short lived," Homura muttered with a shake of his head.

"You'll have to forgive me. I was a bit preoccupied." And he was. Earlier that day, Kakashi had finally seen how Naruto had progressed. Jiraiya had trained him exceedingly well, something that did not come as a surprise. He had beaten all his opponents with little trouble. As it turned out, so did King Rasa's sons, Prince Gaara and Prince Kankuro, and even Lee as well. Kakashi stayed behind when the day concluded to ensure the field was cleared and that no one lingered. It was only then when a guard had come up to him with word that King Hiruzen had requested the council's presence. He made the long trek from outside Konoha's walls back to the keep.

"Quite," Koharu said simply.

"We're all here now so shall we begin?" King Hiruzen said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his fingers on his lap.

Kakashi was the first to speak. "From the one hundred twenty-eight participants that made it through the first phase of the tourney, sixty-one were from the Land of Fire, twenty-three from Wind, nineteen from Water, fifteen from Earth, six from Takigakure, and the remaining four from Kusagakure."

"That sounds like what we expected." Hiruzen scribbled down the numbers. "What else?"

Danzo spoke next. "Sir Shikamaru and his company have returned. He entered the city soon after the tourney ended today."

"How many from Ame were with him?" The king asked.

"Around a hundred. Men, women, and children. I've permitted them to find a place in the inns until we figure out what to do with them."

"And what _do_ we plan on doing with them? It's good that we assisted them in their escape from Ame, but what do we do with one hundred misplaced nobles?" Kakashi questioned.

"Surely they could find a place in the courts of different loyal house. Their sons could be squires, and their daughters as handmaidens," Koharu offered.

"I have doubts that they would be so willing to work as such," King Hiruzen responded.

"They don't have much of a choice," Homura added. "They have little wealth now. No place to live. No lands. Their own knights turned on them."

"And they owe us," Danzo concluded.

The king nodded. "It would seem so. If need be we could have some of the houses loyal to the throne take a few in as part of their court."

"I'm sure the Ame nobles won't object," Danzo said.

Kakashi knew what Danzo meant when he said that. _They can't object_. He wondered what Danzo's true intentions for them were.

Koharu looked at him evenly. "And if they do?"

"They won't," was the spymaster's reply.

There was a pregnant pause before Homura asked, suspicion evident in his voice, "What do you have in store for those highborn, Danzo?"

"As Koharu said, it is best they become part of a loyal house's court."

"Do you take us for fools?" the other elder responded heatedly.

Their argument was ended by the king's annoyed voice. "Enough you two. You remind me of children when you bicker. We will continue later on this matter. For now, we allow them to get adjusted to life in Konoha."

Homura and Danzo glared at each other then gave a reluctant nod toward their king.

"Then moving on," Danzo started, "it would also seem that our young captain was the target of an assassination attempt, but was able to repel them with the help of Sir Choza. He was not harmed."

Kakashi knew sending Choza with Shikamaru would turn out to be a good idea. "I imagine the assassin was killed."

"Assa_ssins_," Danzo explained. "There were two. One was killed. The other is in a cell beneath the keep. Quite predictably they were affiliated with Ame."

"Has she said anything about this 'invasion' I've been told about," the king questioned.

"Ibiki is working on her now. Any secrets she might have, Ibiki will be sure to reveal them," Danzo said. The statement couldn't have held more truth. Sir Ibiki Morino, member of the king's royal bodyguard, and Master of Torture and Interrogation, was extremely good at what he did.

"And how is Shikamaru doing?" the king asked.

"I only spoke with Sir Choza. He says that Shikamaru is doing well enough."

"Some rest will do that boy good, no doubt," Koharu offered, her motherly side coming out—even if it was barely present anymore.

"Yes, I agree. Sir Kakashi tell him that he'll be on reprieve for a while. I'll leave the length of time to your discretion."

"Of course, Your Grace."

"Something else has been brought to my attention over the past few days. It seems that House Uchiha and House Haruno plan to wed their children."

"Fugaku is marrying Itachi off to Kizashi's daughter?" Homura asked, his scowl cracking through.

"Not Itachi, but Sasuke," the king explained.

"Itachi is his firstborn. It shocks me Kizashi didn't want him instead," Koharu added.

"The Uchiha are a powerful house. The Harunos are well respected, but Lord Fugaku is feared by many of his enemies and even allies. I can't see Lord Kizashi complaining about wedding his daughter into the Uchihas even if it is by Sasuke and not Itachi."

"Kakashi is right, but what's important is _why_ they're wedding the two."

"And what are you suggesting, Homura?" Kakashi replied, eyeing the older man.

"What the only logical explanation of this sudden marriage could be. Or rather, why we are just now learning about it."

"Do you expect House Uchiha to march on Konoha?" Kakashi asked it in jest, but Homura's silence and look he was giving him made his mouth form a stern line. He snorted. "You do…you're paranoia with Uchiha knows no bounds, Homura."

"I think it's entirely possible," Koharu responded. "So maybe we should be worrying about them instead of this imaginary invasion you spoke of, Danzo."

The spymaster scoffed. "I should mention now that a rider came in earlier today from King Onoki's host. The king can't make it. The rider claims that Onoki has urgent matters to attend to back in Iwa, and that he deeply regrets not being able to come."

The king digested the information, rubbing his grey beard. "Should we be worried?" he asked. "Danzo, you said to watch those from the Land of Earth more closely than anyone, right? Would they really wage war on us again?"

"It might be possible. I believe we should be even more diligent now than we have been. It is suspicious that all of a sudden Onoki wouldn't show."

"I'm inclined to agree, Your Grace," Kakashi said. "This is a matter we can't take lightly."

The king turned to Homura and Koharu. "And what of you two?"

Koharu spoke. "I think Danzo is blowing this out of proportion. I trust that Onoki truly has an urgent situation to deal with back home, and wouldn't be so foolhardy to bring our lands into another war."

"My spies relay what they know, and they claim that Earth Country and Ame are dangerous right now. Don't be so naïve to think that everyone in this land wants peace."

"Danzo is right. It is best we proceed as we are. I trust his judgment," the king spoke. "And as for the Uchihas and Harunos, there is no law under the crown that forbids two houses from marrying within the Land of Fire. House Uchiha and House Haruno have served the realm faithfully for decades. There is no reason to assume they would do otherwise."

Homura's scowl deepened further, a feat Kakashi thought impossible. "Have you forgot that it was their ancestor Madara Uchiha who threw the lands into that terrible war."

"I refuse to punish the Uchihas for the sins of their ancestors."

"Not punish, Your Grace" Homura explained. "Regulate. That house is growing strong and in the future could be a serious threat to the balance of power within the lands."

Kakashi spoke plainly. "King Tobirama Senju thought it would be a good idea to 'regulate' House Uchiha, and he almost caused another war because of it."

"There will be no regulation or anything of the sort." The king's voice echoed with a stern sense of finality. "The Uchiha and Haruno are close allies with the crown and will still be treated as such. I will speak with the two houses later. As of right now," he turned to Kakashi, "make sure you keep a close eye for anything suspicious with the contestants, the knights, the lords, _anyone_. You too, Danzo. I don't intend to take lightly of what your spies say. We will convene later this week," King Hiruzen dismissed them and made for the door.

Homura and Koharu were the next to leave, mumbling about 'those Uchiha' as they shambled away out into the hall.

Danzo's cane tapped the floor lightly as he stood. "I want your opinion on these recent events, Kakashi."

"I've said what I needed to. Let them marry. House Uchiha and its allies won't march on Konoha. It's absurd to think they would, and they would be foolish to do so."

The spymaster turned to him. "That is not what I mean." Danzo's single eye looked at him closely. "What should I do with that woman, Kurenai?"

Kakashi exhaled and clenched his fist. Ever since Orochimaru had told him that Danzo knew of her, he knew the spymaster would confront him with the knowledge at some point. "Are you threatening me, Danzo?"

"I'm not threatening you, Kakashi. I simply asked a question. What should I do with this woman? Tell me. What would you do in my situation?"

"I'd leave her be."

Danzo chuckled at that. "And risk her ruining the prince's marriage with Princess Mei? I think not."

"If you lay a finger on her Danzo…"

"You'll what? Kill me?" He scoffed at that. "I don't plan on killing her, maiming her, or anything of the sort. Just imagine what it would to our poor prince. At least…I hope it never comes to that."

"Then enlighten me, what do you plan on doing with her?"

"At this moment, I'm not too sure. However, I want _you_ to do something for me. Tell her to leave Konoha. Her presence here is a danger to our alliance with the Land of Water. For as long as she's in the city, Prince Asuma will continue to visit her. We can't have that."

"Many rulers have had mistresses before. It's been no secret. And Asuma is a prince, as long as he does his duty to his lands, then why should it matter?"

"True, Asuma is only a prince, but people see him as a paragon of virtue. He is well-loved among the masses. What should happen to his image if it was outed that he holds a mistress?" His cane tapped on the ground as he began his walk for the door. His back faced him as he spoke. "Deal with this, Sir Kakashi. I don't want to have to." And he was gone, leaving Kakashi to his thoughts. A faint sense of trepidation growing in him.

* * *

**Shikamaru Nara**

Sore and tired from the long days of riding, he had arrived in Konoha in the late evening. The second day of the tourney had been concluded, and the streets seemed to bustle with more vendors and merchants than usual.

"Will you see to it that the highborns are taken before Danzo?" he asked Choza.

"Of course, and what of the prisoner?"

"Make sure that she's escorted to the dungeons."

Choza walked closer to him and lowered his voice so that only he could hear. "Are you okay, Shikamaru?" he asked sincerely.

"I'm fine," and that was all he said before he walked away.

Long tables were placed within the Great Hall and many people were eating and chatting with each other in the spacious room. He found Choji and Ino near the back supping on roasted duck, cooked potatoes, and hard cheese, and as he expected, Choji's portions seemed to dwarf hers. They greeted him with smiles he had missed and called to have him brought food. Their conversation had him smiling as Ino recounted how skillful many of the entrants were.

"What about you Shika? How was your mission?" she asked.

"Uninteresting," he lied. He wasn't going to tell him that he killed a man while listening to his partner scream for his life to be spared. He had thought about it often on the return journey, but he didn't want to anymore. He would tell them later—maybe over a strong beer or ale.

"Oh come now! Something interesting _must_ have happened," Ino pouted.

"Nothing." He shrugged, and Choji snickered from his spot.

Food was brought to him, and he ate listening to Ino talk more about the tourney. He had met the girl when he began his training as a squire under Sir Inoichi Yamanaka. She would often watch the two of them train along with her handmaidens. Some point after, he even taught her chess, something he could never get Choji to understand.

Unlike Ino, he knew Choji from a very young age before he had trained with Sir Inoichi. Their fathers were friends and as such, anytime he was able to, he would spend his days with Choji. Oftentimes, he would sit with him and watch the clouds floating overhead. His friend never seemed to mind.

"There's supposed to be a joust tomorrow," Choji said, "to get people excited about the third phase of the tourney two days after."

"Oh yes! I heard gallant knights from all over were supposed to compete in it!" She made a little squeal. "Like Itachi Uchiha!"

Ino had been fascinated with the heir to House Uchiha the first time she had seen him ride. After the Uchiha became knighted, he won the very next joust he entered. No one could withstand him. He recalled Ino squealing as Itachi rode past her, brushing the dark hair from his eyes.

"Do you think he'll win again?" Choji asked. "The competition looks much tougher this time."

"I have faith in his skill!"

Shikamaru smiled. He had missed them.

.

.

.

The nobles from Ame had been given money to rent rooms in the inns found across the city. That was solution Danzo gave until the council figured out what to do with them.

As nightfall came, Shikamaru had changed into more comfortable clothing and sat across from his father, who had been currently winning the majority of the chess games they played. Five more games passed. He won none of them.

Eventually his father asked, "Choza told me what happened. How are you feeling, son?" His father lounged in the chair across from him. The game board was long forgotten as he poured another cup of wine.

The man's lifeless face had invaded his dreams on a few nights during his return journey. _Please no! Don't!_ He recalled her screams often. The blood draining from the man's dying face, the fear in his eyes. He wondered if they would greet him tonight as well.

"I'm fine."

"Are you?"

He didn't respond. There was no need to.

"That was your first right?"

He nodded evenly.

"It gets easier," his father stated calmly.

He wasn't sure if it sat well with him that it actually might.

"Have I told you about my first?"

He had not, so his father took a long drink before he continued. "When I was a boy a bit younger than you, long before I had a spot in the king's royal guard, before I met your mother, and even before the war, as you know I was a fish merchant. Started doing it young. It was pretty easy. Go by the river, catch some fish, sell it at the market. Well as it turns out this other kid wanted to do it too. He saw me as competition, so after I sell all my fish and start walking back home, he comes up behind me and swipes my coin purse. Not a member of the City Watch was around, so I give chase to the little shit, around corners, in alleys, but he was faster me. So I scooped down and picked up a decent size rock about the size of my fist, and I threw at it him. It hit his head, and he lost balance. Ended up falling onto the corner of some steps right on the side of his head. Blood started coming from his nose and his eyes were unfocused, just gazing at the wall. I checked to see if he's breathing, and he was dead. Fortunately for me, no one was around to see it. So I took what he stole, and I ran like hell away from there. Didn't know the boy's name, his family, where he was from. It made it easier."

He knew his father used to be a fishmonger back when he was younger. Nothing too official, only to make quick money. Never had he thought that it would have caused the death of someone, he always thought that his father's first kill was during the war with Earth Country or some bandit on the road.

"They all start to blend together at some point."

"Do you ever regret killing him?"

His father swirled the wine in his cup. "When I went back to the market the day after, I heard some folks talking about a boy they found dead not too far from there. 'He was a good boy' many of them said. I used to think about it often, but then I found myself a nice girl, I got myself a nice son, and I became knighted. There was no time for regret for that boy. What's done is done. Can't go back and change it. If I thought about the family of every man I've killed all time, I'd go mad."

Shikamaru stood after he digested his father's words. "I think I'm going for a walk," he said softly. He felt his father hand patting him on the shoulder in comfort.

"It _does_ get easier."

.

.

.

It was as though his feet brought him here on their own accord. It wasn't often he found himself in the dungeons beneath the castle. There was a putrid stench that hung in the air and dampness on his skin. Torches lined the walls, lighting the way.

He grabbed one of the torches from its sconce and ventured further down into the dark corridors before he encountered the door with lone guard. The dungeon turnkey gave a respectful bow as he addressed him. "Sir Shikamaru what do you need the prisoner for?"

"Go for a walk," he replied as he held out a silver coin.

The guard gave him a hesitant nodded, then grabbed the coin. "Don't make it too long." With his ring of keys, he unlocked the door and left where Shikamaru had come from, twirling the ring on his finger.

The door led to a narrow passageway that winded a few times, and was as dark as pitch save for torchlight in his hand. The stone walls gave out to a spacious room, and the light penetrated only a few feet in front of him. He kept walking until he saw her.

She was chained at the leg and would have been surrounded in complete blackness had it not been for the torchlight. She squinted as he approached, feebly covering her face from the unknown brightness assaulting her. Her hair was matted, and she was slumped on the wall in dirty garments. From the faint orange light, he saw lacerations on her exposed flesh.

_Sir Ibiki's work._

The knee he had previously injured had a fresh purple bruise. _Most people break at the physical damage_, he remembered Ibiki telling him once, but if they held, he would start the mental attrition. _It's fascinating how often threats of mental damage rarely seem to have the same effect as threats of physical damage, even when it can cause much more harm. Have you ever seen the moment when a man's mind breaks? Now _that's_ truly fascinating. _His father had called him a sadist before, albeit when he was drunk, but he was sure he had even heard Sir Kakashi call Ibiki as such.

He called to her. The girl's eyes were exhausted. It took a while for her to discern who he was, though as soon as she did, a scowl born from recognition grew on her face.

"What do you want?" Her voice was hoarse, and her lips were parched and cracked with dryness.

He went straight to the point. "Why were you sent to kill me?"

She let out a strained laugh that sounded more like an airy wheeze caught in the wind. "Fuck off."

Shikamaru held the waterskin near the torch, and when her eyes squinted in confusion, he gave it a light shake. The sound of the water splashing in the leather caught her ears. "When was the last time Ibiki gave you water? One day? Two?"

She licked her lips. "Almost a day," she muttered.

"Answer my questions, and I'll let you drink."

"And…how do I know it's not poison?" she countered weakly.

He drank only a little to prove the liquid's integrity, and with that she muttered a soft, "Fine," beneath her breath.

"Why were you sent to kill me?" he repeated.

"You were trying to help those who had oppressed us for so long. Konoha needed to be taught a lesson," she answered as though it had been so obvious.

"And who sent you?"

"The Akatsuki."

The group that led Ame now. Had they wanted the highborns dead so much they would kill anyone who attempted to aid them? Was divide in the nobles and commoners that severe? "Am I in anymore danger?"

To that she smirked. "Why? Have you been thinking that a dagger might come at you from the shadows?" she taunted.

Shikamaru remained impassive—but to some extent she was right. "Do you want the water or not? Answer my question," he demanded evenly.

"I don't know if you're in any danger."

"Then is Konoha danger from Ame?"

"I don't know."

He scowled at her answers. "You're lying."

"Am I? Tell me, do you honestly think Ame can launch a successful invasion against the Land of Fire? We're only a city-state."

"Is that what you told Ibiki?"

"It was, and he didn't believe me either."

"And neither do I. Who knows what alliances Ame might have forged. Do you want the water or not?"

"What I tell you is truth. We weren't given much information. I guess that was a good decision on the Angel's part."

He had heard talk about her around camp, normally muttered in contempt by the Ame highborns. Konan her real name was. An orphan raised in the slums that somehow overthrew King Hanzo with an army backing her and her friends. She was talked about often.

"I don't know if Konoha's in danger," she reiterated when he had not said anything for a while.

"I'm sure you know something. No whispers of invasion by the Akatsuki? I _know_ that you know something. Don't make this anymore troublesome than it has to be."

She was silent for a few seconds, or maybe minutes, he wasn't sure, but eventually her head turned, and her eyes locked with his. "This dungeon will probably be my tomb, and I'll die for my cause…just like Haru did. I'll take my secrets with me."

The images of the bloody corpse filled his mind again. Her screams. "Your partner?"

"My husband," she corrected.

Her husband. Her lover. He had killed him. Did they have children? Was family waiting for them back home?

_It gets easier._

"There was no way to heal him."

Her expression was that of pure fury. "I don't need your fucking pity! You killed him!" she rasped loudly. "We knew the risks when we left Ame. We had come to terms with what might've happened…We…we were ready to die doing our duty to Ame." She was sobbing now, choking on her last words. "I don't need pity…from my husband's fucking killer!" Her breath was shaky as she breathed deeply. A slow hand reached to her face as she attempted to calm herself. "Leave, I don't want your water anyway." The cuts on her arms gleamed brightly at him.

"Like you…I did my duty but for my king and the people I vowed to protect when I set out on that mission." She didn't respond to that.

He knelt down and handed her the skin. She reached for it slowly with trembling hands and took thirsty gulps, the water dripping down her chin.

"Don't drink it all at once."

Later that night, when he was in the gardens staring up at the dark clouds and stars overhead, he had learned from the whispers of guards that the prisoner, Inori, had been killed. Not by torture or execution but by an unknown assailant that arrived long after he left. An assassin. She was found in dungeons, with her throat sliced open in a bloody smile. Ibiki had been furious.

He wished he were like the clouds, carefree, going with the wind, traveling over hills and valleys. They had simple existence. He wondered how she went. Was she stoic? Did she beg for her life? Though in the end, he supposed Inori was right. She had taken her secrets to the grave.

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

It was the second day of the tourney, and Itachi insisted that he watched some of the matches to take mental notes for the second phase. He wanted to groan and tell his brother that he had no need, but the truth was he was curious what his competition would be like. Then he saw him. Naruto. He was here. He couldn't help the frown that etched across his lips.

"That's Naruto Uzumaki?" Shisui questioned from beside him. "The boy you trained with as a child, right?"

Sasuke gave a small nod. He watched him. Naruto moved with all the grace of a boar, yet he won his match. His swings were well placed, and his movement was trained. It was to be expected from someone who had trained with both Kakashi and Jiraiya. After an applause, the next pair was out.

King Rasa's son, Gaara, took the field along with a highborn from Konoha. Surprisingly, the prince didn't use the same stance his sister did. The prince held his sword almost lazily. He simply let his arms fall.

The match started. The sword's point whipped toward the prince almost wildly and without finesse or thought. Sasuke wondered if the boy had ever held a sword before in his life. Gaara sidestepped and swung at his opponent's head. It connected with a crack. The highborn stumbled to the ground and landed, face in the dirt. Gaara began walking away before Hayate could finish announcing his victory. His opponent went to try and stand but fell down again. Serving boys had to carry him off with most of his weight leaning on their shoulders.

Both Naruto and the Prince of Suna had three more matches, just like he had the day earlier. The Prince's last match was against a squire from Takigakure. During the first day of matches, whispers from contestants had said that the "Prince born in Sand" was a force to be reckoned with. The prince didn't look like much, and he was sure it was only a rumor spread by those from Wind Country, but then he saw the prince invert the elbow of the squire with his foot, doing so with a sickening crack. Through the chorus of the crowd's gasps and dissent, the screams of the squire penetrated clearly. Many looked away, a few not used to such a sight emptied their stomachs on the ground. A knight from Taki ran to the boy's side while Hayate reluctantly announced the prince's victory.

Shisui's lips held an uncommon frown, but he said nothing.

"He's a brutish boy," was Itachi's only comment, his face indifferent.

The squire's screams could still be heard in the distance as he was carried off. Predictably, there was no applause.

Sixteen were announced to progress. The only ones that really stood out to him were Naruto, Gaara, and a squire to Sir Guy who he had to admit would be a worthy opponent if they fought. He was exceptionally fast, and he even used the same style of swordfighting that Suna's princess used, no doubt learning it from Guy himself.

The next round of entrants took the field, but Sasuke only watched a few more matches before he made his leave. He denied Itachi suggestion on an escort, wanting to be alone. It was true he was without his sword, but even with its absence he was sure he would manage.

As he left the stands, the first thing he noticed was the amount of staring. Not blatant ones, but side glances, or glimpses in his direction from different crowds of people. He was approached by a girl dressed in red velvets trimmed with white, her hair flowed freely down her face.

"My lord," she gave a small curtsey and presented him with a yellow flower, her hands trembling slightly as she held the stem. "Good luck…with the rest of the tourney." She held his gaze for only a few seconds before her eyes found the ground instead. Eventually she withdrew her hand. "I'm…I'm sorry…I should not have—"

"Give me it."

"…My lord?"

"The flower."

"Oh…" Her hands didn't stop their shaking as she handed the yellow flower to him. He plucked it from her grasp.

"What kind is it?"

"I'm…not sure…" she quickly added in a sloppy haste, "my lord!"

He turned the flower over in his hands. "What's your name?"

A smile grew across her lips faster than he thought possible when he asked the question. "My name is Moegi."

The name resonated in his memory. "You're Konohamaru's friend?"

"I'm friends with the prince, yes. I serve as a handmaiden to the ladies in court."

He nodded. "Thank you for the flower, Moegi."

"The pleasure is mine, my lord." She smiled at him before moving back to her friends, who immediately pulled her in with excited hugs and thrilled whispers

She was brave—or perhaps naïve, he wasn't sure. Had he been someone else it may not have ended civilly. He wondered what his father would have done; the stern man had an uninviting presence about him. Then he wondered what Gaara would have done.

He twirled the yellow flower in his fingers. It was delicate in his hand as if a wrong or clumsy move would lob the petals right off. It also looked young, immature almost. Winter was coming soon, and many of the leaves had already changed to a deep red and yellow, so many flowers were dying now, and yet the flower in his hand hadn't even bloomed, that much he could tell.

"Still popular with the girls, huh Sasuke?"

He moved only a few feet before he heard that voice. He knew that voice. It was tempting to walk away at that very moment, to not acknowledge him with so much as a glance, but he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he saw him. His padded orange surcoat was hard to miss, and coupled with his blond hair, made it easy to recognize the idiot.

Naruto eyed the flower in his hand. "I'm surprised."

"I'm not so cruel to humiliate her in front of a crowd of onlookers," he challenged.

"That's good to hear. Moegi is a good girl. Konohamaru would have probably not taken kindly to that either." When it became clear that Sasuke would not answer, the blond took a tentative step forward, and was quiet for a moment before as if working up courage, "Heh…it looks like we both made it to the second round." There was still no reply, and he let out a nervous laughter and continued. "Though you seem to have more admirers than I do. Like usual."

"What do you want, Naruto?"

"I can't speak with an old friend?"

"I'm busy." He turned to leave when he felt Naruto's hand grab his shoulder.

"Sasuke, wait a second!" Then he heard the familiar sound of a sword scraping against the inside of a scabbard and ringing as it met open air.

"I'd recommend you remove that hand if you don't want to lose it. You're assaulting a lord, boy." Inabi Uchiha held Naruto's hand firmly with his drawn sword in the other. He was a cousin of Sasuke in service to his lord father as a high ranking knight. He was a tall man with dark hair than ran to his shoulders. His armor was steel plate with the color of a dark blue. The cross-shaped scar on his on his right cheek was his most defining feature. It seemed Itachi got him an escort against his wishes anyway. "I said remove it."

They were drawing attention. That was obvious. People were staring at them, and this time they were doing little to hide it. The girl from earlier and her friends had turned to them as well, seeing what would happen next. The flower in his hand felt a thousand times heavier. Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto for what seemed like an eternity, and the blond released his hold.

"They say when two opponents are strong enough they don't need words, they can read each other's thoughts simply through clashing blades. If we meet out there on the field, we'll let our swords talk for us."

"Fine." The conviction in his eyes reminded Sasuke of when they were younger. They would often compete over anything they could, and that same look in his eyes would appear. It made Sasuke angry. Naruto abandoned him to go off and train with Jiraiya. No farewell. Yet even after all these years, after he thought he completely isolated himself from the blond, he still found himself excited at the thought of crossing blades with him. "Just make sure you don't get out by then, Sasuke."

The young Uchiha walked away. He made sure he didn't let Naruto see the smirk on his face. "Tch. Idiot."

.

.

.

It was nightfall when Kakashi sent for him. The knight was without his normal green and red armor that marked his place in the royal guard. He wore only a leather tunic and brown breeches. Kakashi tossed him a tourney sword and struck at him without any greeting.

Even after a year, Sasuke could barely keep up with the Knight-Captain. His swings were a flurry of strong blows. His feints were spectacular, and his footwork impeccable. With each hit, however, Sasuke felt himself adjusting to Kakashi's rhythm, felt himself matching his speed.

"You've gotten better." The metal of the swords clashed as he spoke.

Sasuke answered back with a swing of his own. "I'd hope so."

They stopped for a rest, and Kakashi handed him a skin of water. "You performed nicely yesterday."

"Itachi and Shisui do well to keep my skills honed."

"It would seem so."

They continued to speak with one another exchanging stories. Kakashi's were easily more exciting. He spoke of his time in the Land of Water, visiting Kiri to make arrangements for Prince Asuma's and Princess Mei's wedding. He told of a band of outlaws he had encounter with while there, the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, each having an elaborately designed swords. He told of travels to the city-state of Takigakure, and even travels to Earth Country.

There was a momentary pause before the knight spoke again. "I hear you're to marry Lord Kizashi's daughter."

He had heard plenty of that during his short time in Konoha, mostly within the walls of the castle. Lords and ladies would congratulate him on his betrothal, promising to bring splendid gifts to their wedding. "In the new year, at the first sign of spring," he ended up replying.

"You don't sound too joyous about it."

"Should I be?"

He thought about it for a second. "I don't know. She seems like a good girl. A pretty head on her shoulders. Well educated."

"You've spoken with her?"

"Not necessarily," Kakashi grabbed the skin and took a long draw from it. "But I've heard enough about her to know you could have done much worse."

"I don't need a lecture about this. I get enough of that from my family as it is."

"You do? And tell me what they have to say about it."

Sasuke stood. He could feel the knight-captain's eyes on him. "I wish to train more. My ripostes were sloppy."

Kakashi ignored him and continued. "Some of the guards saw you with that girl during the festival. Said that you two were having a good time. They called you 'love birds.' I couldn't believe it. Sasuke Uchiha madly in love?"

Sasuke swung his sword at the seated knight who was quick to block it. The knight-captain stood bending his back as he stretched. "I'm only teasing," he replied, smiling.

Sasuke struck at him again. "Okay, okay, I'll be sure to stop telling the servants about your two's rumored nightly exploits."

Kakashi chuckled as the Uchiha's swings came harder.

.

.

.

His mother had suggested he invite Sakura to sup with him. At first, Sasuke denied the idea, wanting to eat alone, but his mother knew exactly how crumble his resolve. Before he knew it, he was inviting Sakura to his chambers, the picture of his mother's victorious smile in his mind.

The servants brought roasted chicken, apples sprinkled with crushed nuts, roasted potatoes, and fresh bread colored a golden brown. After they placed a decanter of red wine on the table, they left with a bow.

The two were silent as they ate. Neither of them talked, but Sasuke could see Sakura itching to start up a conversation by the way she was fidgeting. But she never said anything, only putting another piece of bread to her mouth.

He swallowed from his cup. "You weren't at the tourney, today."

Sakura smiled lightly and pushed her potatoes around. "I went into the city with our mothers. They wanted a dress made for me specifically for Prince Asuma and Princess Terumi's wedding, and Lady Mikoto said that she knew a perfect place for it. They say it will be one of the most glamorous events in the land."

He dreaded that he would have to attend. He wasn't one for loud noises, and the thought of it already made his head start to hurt.

"So, uh…was there any good competition?"

"No one that stood out." Truthfully though, since he came back from the tourney grounds, Naruto and Suna's prince, and even Guy's squire had been on his mind. He constantly went over any weaknesses he could find in his head. There weren't many he could notice.

"What did you think of the princess from Wind Country?"

And now that Sakura brought it up, the princess was notable in her skill too. "She's good."

"That's what my father said too."

He would be lying if he said that the blonde had not impressed him. "Her first opponent was an idiot. Had he known what decent swordsmanship was, he would have known not to take her lightly."

"Was she really that good?"

"She definitely shouldn't be underestimated."

Sakura appeared thoughtful for a moment before saying. "That stance she used, I've never seen it before."

"I had asked Kakashi about it when I saw Guy use it for the first time. It favors speed more than anything. It's widely practiced in Wind Country."

Then they were silent again, but it was more comfortable than awkward. The servants came back after a while and removed the plates and uneaten food and the now empty decanter.

As the servants left, Sakura's jade eyes wandered to the yellow flower that lay on the small table under the window. She moved across the room to it, the setting sun casting orange rays over her. "The daffodil is beautiful. Where did you find it?" she asked turning to him. Her eyes looked full of wonder.

"You're knowledgeable of flowers?"

When it came to flora, Sasuke was a novice. He had not known the flower's identity and really wasn't bothered from not knowing. But now that Sakura revealed it to him, he supposed he was a little grateful

"I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but as a child, I spent most of time in the gardens. I still do. And the castle libraries had books about the different plants and flowers of Fire country. I couldn't help but read them."

He looked at the flower. "It was given to me."

A playful smile danced across Sakura's pink lips as she turned to him. "By an admirer I presume? Should I be jealous?"

Sasuke snorted. "From some girl. I believe she's friends with Konohamaru."

She picked it up and held it gently in her hands. "She must have been brave to work past her fears and talk to you."

Sasuke gave her a curious glance, but she ignored it, instead touching the stem of the daffodil. "It needs water," she said simply. "It will bloom faster that way."

"Hn."

She eyed him. "You're going to let it die?"

"It will die eventually."

"Then let me have it. It's lovely."

"It wasn't your gift."

"Then give it water."

Sakura stepped closer, and from his chair, Sasuke noticed that she was still wearing that necklace he had bought for her at the market. She smelled of wine. "You're annoying, you know that?"

Grinning, she asked. "So you'll—"

"If I remember."

She chuckled and looked back at the flower in her hands. _Why was she so damn persistent about that thing?_ His thoughts involuntarily leapt to that redhead he met at the town over. Karin was her name. Was it guilt he was feeling right now? Should he feel guilty? They weren't married yet. He was a lord. He was an Uchiha. Why did it matter to him?

"Sakura," he called to her, and her green eyes went to his.

"Hm?" When he did not answer, the smile she wore faded to a look of concern. "Sasuke?"

He sighed. "I'll give it water, if you bring me a vase for it."

She laughed lightly. "I'll be sure not to forget."

_So annoying._

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_Here's to a new chapter! _

_Couple of things to mention. I'm going to try and put out a chapter every two weeks, and not my usual chapter per three months. At least until classes start back up. So you know when to expect them. Also I know that I said you'd get some Neji action this chapter, well I lied. My bad. The chapter was already pretty long so I thought I'd just save it for the next chapter. And your favorite young prince Konohamaru will be getting some more time next chapter. I think. Lol. And who wants to see Itachi and Shisui joust?_

_One more thing, everyone is pretty much in the same place, but as the story progresses they will be separated. I can't wait to write those parts! I hope you're having as much fun readings as I am writing!_

_Thank you for all the support so far! It really means a lot! And like always tell me how I did and leave a review!_


	8. Chapter 8

_As it turns out, I was not able to keep my promise of uploading every 2 weeks. While I did in fact want to. I've been busy, and I also wanted to make sure the chapter was fleshed out well. And then there's the editing. Lol no more promises of quick updates. I might be cursed to uploading every three months. I will try my damnedest to increase the frequency though. I already have some of the next chapter written, so expect that in a month or so. But anyway enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**_Chapter 8_**

**The Joust**

* * *

_"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is a quiet voice at the end of the day_

_saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" –Mary Anne Radmacher_

* * *

**Sakura Haruno**

Itachi and Shisui were in their dark blue Uchiha armor amongst the ranks of knights that stood before King Hiruzen. The king called them one at a time to honor each accordingly. She had heard many of the names before: Sir Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino's father, and Sir Choza Akimichi to name only a few. More names like Sir Aoba Yamashiro, Sir Raido Namiashi, and Sir Kotetsu Hagane were a few of which she had only a vague recollection.

Then there were those whose name she did not recognize in the slightest, Sir Daikokuo Funeno, Sir Hamaki Mimura, Sir Hayama Shirakumo, Sir Iwashi Tatami, and Sir Izumo Kamizuki, along with many hailing from lands she had only heard in passing through her studies. Men who had done no great deeds yet but in time she was sure they would.

Sir Guy was called next, followed by Sir Genma Shiranui, both men dawning their royal armor, their green cloaks like leaves dancing in the wind. They were the only members of the royal guard in the joust. She could see Sir Kakashi at his post next to the king as he looked out on to the field of knights. The other three, Sir Shikaku, Sir Yamato, and Sir Ibiki were absent.

The crowd cheered for their favorite and cried out when the one they were pulling for crashed to the ground. Her betrothed was seated next to her staring intently at the jousting knights. She wondered if he was as giddy as she was at the spectacle, then she laughed at the thought of Sasuke being giddy about anything. The joust lasted into the night, and the fence posts dividing the two contestants had torches placed on them for lighting.

Eventually it came down to four. Shisui, Itachi, Sir Guy, and, Sir Baki, a knight from Suna and part of King Rasa's personal guard. All four had ridden elegantly in their previous matches. Shisui had little trouble unhorsing the young knight, Sir Kotetsu, while Itachi had a much harder time against his larger one. Sir Choza had used his weight to his advantage as he leaned far forward on every run through, coming close to knocking Itachi off the first two times around. Then it was as though Itachi had him figured out in an instant. The large knight had gone to lean in once more as they charged, and at the very last second Itachi had shifted the lance so slightly and it exploded into splinters as it made full contact with Sir Choza's shield, knocking the man to the ground with a loud _thud_.

When Sir Baki jousted against Sir Genma of the Royal Guard neither of them were able to knock the other off in five passes. Much to everyone's surprise King Hizuren gave the victory to the knight from Suna for his lance was steadier and his hits were better placed. King Hiruzen's royal guard gave a shrug and smiled, bowing graciously to his opponent before trotting away to the clapping of the audience.

Lastly, Sir Guy had ridden against Sir Inoichi, three passes it took before Sir Guy was able to slam his lance squarely into his opponent's shield. That was when Sakura had heard the frightened shriek from the crowd, and she saw her. Ino was sitting a good bit away from her, but she could clearly remember her face and the long blonde hair. She looked gorgeous in her yellow dress, and Sakura wanted nothing more than to walk over and compliment her and hug her, but her legs did not move. When Sir Inoichi stood Sakura saw Ino stand, clapping at her father's performance. Then the crowd had joined in as well. Even though the knight was out, he rode exceedingly well for the entire day.

The four remaining jousted against each other, the torches and the moon overhead were the only sources of light. To Sakura it was magical.

Shisui had fallen to Sir Guy after four rounds through. The latter extended his hand to the Uchiha and patted him on the back. Shisui held up Guy's hand to the audience's roars and applause and stepped off the field with a lazy smirk on his face. Itachi had little trouble unhorsing the knight from Suna. Sir Baki put up an excellent fight, but Itachi proved to be too much as he knocked his opponent to the ground.

The last tilt commenced between Itachi and Sir Guy. Their stallions trotted over to the center of the stands where King Hiruzen sat. As the light of the flames flickered off his dark armor, Itachi bowed to the king along with his opponent.

King Hiruzen nodded and roared, "Let's have a grand final tilt, you two!" Behind his visor, Sakura was sure that Itachi was giving a soft smile.

The two took up their positions on opposite ends, both their horses were as steady as statues. And then it began. They charged, and Sir Guy leaned forward as his stallion galloped with thunderous claps. Itachi's lance grazed Guy's shield, but the older knight found his mark. His lance exploded into splinters as it made contact with Itachi's uchiwa blazoned one. There was a gasp. Itachi reeled in his saddle, and only just managed to stay seated.

Sir Guy's squire came up to him with another lance, animatedly talking about how wonderful the hit was, and the knight gave him a thumbs up, then grabbed hold of the lance and couched it, ready once more for the second pass. On the other side, Itachi looked calm as he turned horse back around. He lowered his lance and charged.

As they drew closer, she saw Itachi shift ever so slightly in his seat just before impact, this time it was Itachi's lance that made full contact, exploding into pieces, as Sir Guy fell from his mount.

Like that it was over. The crowd roared in approval. Itachi dismounted and held out his hand, and Sakura could see the other knight was laughing. Sir Guy pulled himself and raised the Uchiha's hand in victory. The audience cheered at the scene.

"Allow me to congratulate Sir Itachi Uchiha for his victory in the tilt! And the runner-up Sir Guy! It was a fine display!" The two nodded to the king, to her left the Lord Fugaku held a very prideful smirk. Then her attention turned to Sasuke. His face was a blank slate. What was he thinking?

.

.

.

The commoners had left the grounds while the court moved to the river where a large feast was prepared. The court was seated in a very large pavilion. Itachi sat next to the king and his family, and as winner of the joust, he was rewarded a hefty sum of gold. The runner-up and semi-finalists also were rewarded with gold, but it did not come close to how much Itachi had gotten. So much of which Itachi confided to her that he knew naught what to do with it. She sat between Sasuke and Shisui. Her mother and father were on the other side of the pavilion speaking with who she assumed were members of Haruno's vassal houses, Lord and Lady Uchiha were talking with the lords of other houses, and Amane was making lively chatter those around, a large smile on her face as she turned to Sakura giving her a small wave.

The food was laid out on large silver plates spanning the length of the long tables. Roasted wild boar and venison were brought out dipped in olive oil, along with large wheels of cheeses, and bushels of onions, plums, and potatoes. As well as foods, an assortment of drinks was placed, wine, ale, beer, and tea from the Land of Water that Sakura thought was delicious.

As the night went on, her mind got fuzzy, and she couldn't seem to wipe away the smile on her face. Truthfully, how many times her cup of wine was refilled escaped her. Musicians and singers filled air music, the jugglers of fire she had seen days earlier made another appearance. She was drunk on wine—and the splendor of the night.

Sakura was clapping to an upbeat song that started playing when she heard it. There was clapping coming from next to her. She turned to Shisui and was confused. He was speaking with a knight from earlier who she recalled as Sir Raido. Her mind couldn't put it together until she turned to her left and saw Sasuke clapping. She couldn't stifle the laugh that escaped. He was clapping along, albeit with as much enthusiasm as a dead cat.

"Stop laughing," he demanded.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it!" she tried to explain. He didn't say anything for a moment, and that's when she realized the goofy smile she had on her face. "I'm just glad you're enjoying yourself!" She said honestly though teasing a bit.

Sasuke snorted. "I'll be here for a while. I imagine I should make the most of it."

A piercing sound abruptly shot through her ear. The sharp ring of a sword coming loose from its metal sheath. The music stopped and everyone turned to look at the scene unfolding. King Rasa held an inquisitive stare while King Hiruzen stood from his spot beside Prince Asuma and Princess Mei. Sir Hayate, with his blade pointed to the Suna knight from earlier, turned to the king and proclaimed loudly, "Your Grace, as a knight of your court, allow me to cut this man down where he sits."

And for the first time, she heard Wind Country's king speak. "And why is that you wish to cross blades with Sir Baki, a knight of _my_ court." His voice was deep, calm, —demanding. It frightened her.

"You will do no such thing. Those from the Land of Wind are our guests, and it is a great insult to them, myself, and all our guest that you would even suggest such a foolish thing."

Sir Hayate did not lower his sword. His voice was sterner than Sakura had ever heard it. "With all due respect Your Grace, you did not hear his words. I should cut down all you knights from Wind Country. My king, they wish—"

"The idiot is drunk!" Sakura heard the recognizable voice of her father yell over the crowd. "I've seen him down drinks like you wouldn't believe!" her father boomed. Sakura could tell he had been drinking, he tended to get annoyingly boisterous in his drunken state.

"I have been doing no such thing, my lord." Hayate was calm in his response. However, her father's words eased the mind of others to vouch on Sir Baki, who up to this point remained quiet.

"It seems your knight lacks obedience, King Hirzuen," she heard Wind Country's king say.

"It seems so. Guards can you escort Sir Hayate back to his chambers within castle." Three soldiers came up next to the knight, hands on their sheathed swords. "Lower your sword, sir." Sir Hayate hesitated before reluctantly doing as his king commanded. The guards escorted the knight outside leaving everyone else to wonder what just transpired. The king sighed and sat back in his large chair with a huff.

"Bring back the music!" Some of the men shouted, and the musicians with questioning glances toward the king, started again.

"What do you think that was about?" Shisui asked, just as bewildered as she was.

"Petty arguments about honor, probably," Sasuke answered.

The feast had finally gotten back to order, and soon with all the wine and food nearly everyone forgot about that conflict that had happened. Even she had as she spoke eagerly with Shisui and Sasuke. Shisui replied lively to her questions, but Sasuke only gave slight shakes and nods of his head.

The night winded down, and the musicians had been dismissed by the king, and the only sound was the drunken chatter of most of the guests.

When it was finally time to head back, they were of the first to leave. Her father wanted at minimum a thirty-man escort to return her to the castle, and Sakura thought it hilarious. Through drunken foolery, she laughed at the suggestion. She wondered if her father knew how many cups of wine she had. In the end thanks to Itachi, it was only Sasuke and Shisui who was walking with her now, each with a torch in hand, and her in between.

They kept a comfortable pace, walking through the grassy field, leaves crunching beneath them. A gentle wind passed by.

"I'm very sorry you didn't win, Shisui," Sakura said, earnestly.

"Can't win them all, and Guy rode well."

She replied, "Next time you can do it."

"Well I sure hope so," he chuckled at her liveliness.

"So Shisui, I have to ask… What is it like to feel a warhorse galloping beneath you?" Sakura asked.

He answered immediately. "It makes you feel unstoppable. Have you never ridden before?"

"I've only once, and it was when I was young."

Her father had finally broken down at the prospect and given her the chance to go riding with him—albeit very slowly, but just when they had broken into a trot she had lost her balance and fell and injured her ankle. Never again had her father allowed her to ride.

"Maybe Sasuke or I can take you riding one day."

"Hn," was Sasuke articulate reply.

"Must you reply to everything with a grunt?" she whined.

Shisui snickered. "It means he likes you."

"Shisui…" Sasuke warned.

She always wondered what it was like to have siblings, what it was like to bicker with them, to share stories with them. While Shisui wasn't Sasuke's actual brother, she knew he treated Sasuke and Itachi like ones, and any time they interacted, it warmed her. She had two people like that before. One was her cousin whisked away into a life she hated, loathed. To a life where she despaired day in and day out. To a life that had broken her. The other she saw today, sitting in the stands watching the joust, eating at the feast. Ino had looked remarkably beautiful, and seeing her again made tears well up, but she didn't have the courage to greet her. One of her only two friends was sitting only feet away from her and yet she didn't approach. She wondered if her old friend saw her. Maybe they were both cowards. Maybe they both lacked the courage.

She was lost in thought when she heard Shisui and Sasuke mumble to each other.

"So what do you think happened back there?" Shisui asked him. "With Hayate and Baki."

"They were drunk probably. One insulted the other, and it escalated," Sasuke stated.

Shisui shook his head. "I can't really believe that. I know Hayate. He's always calm and keeps his cool. A simple attack on his character isn't enough to make him cause a scene."

"You think it's something bigger?" she finally interjected and giggled. "It was probably just a little fight, that's all."

Shisui seemed to think on those words. "You're drunk, Sakura," he responded with a smirk.

"_You're_ drunk."

He laughed. "You're probably right, though. It's likely that it was just a little scuffle. I'm probably blowing it out of proportion." He scratched his head. "Whatever it was about, Hayate called out all of Wind Country's knights. That takes a lot of courage. Did you see him? The way he sounded? It was almost… _desperate_."

She and Sasuke were silent, then Shisui laughed nervously. "But hey, King Hiruzen will sort it out, I'm sure."

Sasuke spoke evenly then. "I'm inclined to agree with Sakura. You're blowing this out of proportion."

The other Uchiha looked uncertain. "Maybe."

The topic of Sir Hayate ended there, and the walk back to them castle had them talking more about the joust earlier that day, of how well Shisui and Itachi rode, and of how stiff the competition was. Sakura never really knew just how skilled the two Uchiha were. She wondered how far Sasuke would have made it had he entered. He would be competing two days from now, and she was nervous for him. Even now she felt butterflies tickle in her stomach just thinking about it.

"What is it, Sakura?" Sasuke questioned as they stepped through the castle gates.

"Oh, apologies, I didn't know I was staring. It's nothing…"

"Hn."

She saw Shisui smile.

Sasuke was much more amiable lately, and she was happy about that. Then she tripped in her drunken stupor, her hands shooting forward to grab something, anything. What she felt was hard muscles in her hand and warm leather on her face. Sasuke looked down at her confusion and slight annoyance in his eyes.

She giggled at the sight.

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha**

They were summoned to the throne room late at night. Sasuke could not fall asleep, so it was only a small inconvenience when knocking came to his door. As he opened it, his father and mother were and told him the king requested their presence.

The halls were empty and silent and their steps echoed easily. Sasuke said nothing as they walked, and neither did his parents.

King Hiruzen was on his throne and Lord Danzo Shimura stood next to him. Lord and Lady Haruno was before the two, turning as they heard their entrance. Then he saw Sakura, her hair disheveled with sleep, her eyes unsure. They took their spot next to them.

"Before we begin, allow me to apologize for calling you at such a late hour. The court has been busy today, and this was the only free time I had available. I apologize for waking either of you."

"It was no trouble, Your Grace," his father responded.

"That is good to hear, Lord Uchiha," Danzo spoke. "To get on with the matter, it has come to our attention that you plan to wed your houses. Tell us. Why are we only learning about it now?"

There was a momentary pause with neither family eager to speak. Sasuke had not known this. He had thought his father would have at least told the king about his betrothal. "We did not wish to cause an unnecessary disturbance," Lord Kizashi finally replied.

"And yet the entire castle knows. It's one of the main talking points lately."

His father stepped forward, stating sternly, "Gossip travels quickly, Danzo."

"Yes it does," the king's voice cut in. "But only until recently we learned about this. Just how long have you had this betrothal planned?"

Once against there was silence—but then his mother chimed in, her voice almost angelic. "Around a year, Your Grace."

That was a lie.

Mother had lied to the king. They had it planned for years. More than a decade even. He glanced sideways to his parents' direction. His father was stone faced. Why lie?

"You knew for a year and you didn't send word?" King Hiruzen said.

His mother's reply was smooth like silk. "We weren't entirely sure about the arrangement until recently. We apologize sincerely for any insult this might have caused to you or your council."

"Only a few of us were insulted."

"You must understand that Koharu and Homura were vehemently against this betrothal." Danzo said. "Certainly that should come as no surprise to you all."

Sasuke had heard his father curse those two on multiple occasions. They had always seemed to despise the Uchiha, and had even disapproved of his father's participation in the last war.

The council member continued. "You should be happy that Sir Kakashi defended it as earnestly as he did. It's always beneficial to have friends in high places."

"We'll have to give him our thanks next time we see him," Lord Kizashi replied evenly.

The king stood and smiled. "Now that we have that out of the way. I wish you two, Sasuke and Sakura, good fortune with your marriage, and prosperity to your houses." He and Sakura bowed in thanks. "Now you must tell me when do you plan on having this wedding?"

"At the first sign of spring, Your Grace,"

The king laughed heartily. "Be sure that I'm invited. I'd love to be there for it."

"We would do no less, Your Grace," his lord father replied.

King Hiruzen's expression dissolved to one that mirrored—frustration, annoyance, sadness? Something Sasuke couldn't _quite_ place. "…You Uchiha have always been so formal with me. So cold, so distant… even your late father was this way, Lord Fugaku. It was as though he could not stand the sight of me." King Hiruzen walked down the steps towards them, leaving Danzo at the throne. "Do you know why Koharu and Homura are against this betrothal? They fear you will become a threat to the safety and balance of our kingdom. Do you know what I told them? I said that the Uchiha and Haruno are loyal to the crown."

It was his mother's soft voice that echoed throughout the room. "You are very kind, Your Grace. Those two never seemed to like the Uchiha. But I assure that our house and House Haruno will remain faithful allies from this day to our last."

The king did not respond immediately, then king looked at Sasuke with the weight of a kingdom behind his gaze. "I hope that's certainly the case." Then they were dismissed. Just as he was moving back toward the door, Sasuke turned back to the throne a final time, and he saw Danzo's eye pierce daggers at them as they left.

.

.

.

They ate their breakfast in a large room with a high vaulted ceiling that could seat a hundred at its long wooden trestle tables. The Uchiha and Haruno knights were seated as well as lords and ladies of his father's court of Kizashi's. And everyone stood as both men entered the room.

"Be seated and enjoy your food," his father said, ushering them back down as he moved to sit next to Sasuke's mother near the front.

"It's great to see you're doing well, Izumi," he heard his brother say to the woman across the table. She was beautiful and adored by many. Her hair was long and brown and tumbled down her shoulders in curls. "You look incredible, as well."

She blushed at the comment but held a bright smile. "You're too kind, Itachi. I must say I've missed you all very much."

The first time Sasuke had met her was at the funeral for her father who had died to a wound he obtained from hunting. It had festered and claimed his life within the fortnight. Sasuke was apathetic, and so was his immediate family, but his father had insisted they go because "they were Uchiha." Even if their closest common ancestor was his fourth great grandparent with some name he long forgot having only heard it once and in passing. But Izumi and her mother, visited often. The last time Sasuke had seen the other Uchiha was half a year ago. They stayed for a month, and Sasuke wasn't oblivious to how often he would see Izumi and Itachi together, the two were practically attached to each other.

Izumi turned to Sakura. "You must be the lucky girl."

"I didn't know I was talked about so often," Sakura responded playfully. "It's good to see that I'm popular."

"Since we arrived last night, all I'm hearing about is the tourney, Prince Asuma's wedding, Itachi's wonderful performance in the joust, and…the Uchiha and Haruno betrothal."

"You should leave them to their gossip, Izumi," Sasuke replied.

She laughed. "Maybe so, but it's so exciting to see my little Sasuke all grown up."

Sasuke scoffed and went back to cutting his fried eggs.

"Oh and I can't believe I missed the feast yesterday night."

"Yeah, you definitely missed out. It was _incredible_ to say the least," Shisui replied from his spot.

She smirked. "If it was so great, I would have expected you to still be in your chambers drunk."

"You wound me, Izumi. You really do." That was when Itachi shot his cousin a glare. Shisui chuckled and went back to chatting up some young lady near him.

.

.

.

Hayate was not there to proctor the matches. Sir Genma of the Royal Guard took his place instead. He had four matches and his last was against one of Orochimaru's apprentices, perhaps his only, Kabuto Yakushi. He had spoken to Kabuto on only a few occasions, neither of them he'd say were particularly memorable. But he knew how to fight, far better than anyone who specialized in medicine should. In the end, Sasuke had won, and the day concluded with eight finalists for the last phase. The three Suna siblings, a squire from Grass country, Guy's squire Lee, Shino of the House Aburame, Himself…and Naruto. The idiot made it the final day. They were projected to play in the semi-finals. And Sasuke felt the anticipation ball up in him, ready to explode. But before he got to Naruto he would need to get pass Gaara. He could imagine any other contestant to be scared to fight someone that vicious—but he couldn't wait. The day after next the eight of them would meet in the stadium in the city to conclude the tournament.

However today he was finished, and he lay on his bed looking at the flower near the open window. True to her word, Sakura had brought him a small, slender glass vase full of water to him, and true to _his_ word he had slipped the daffodil in.

She was currently sitting in the chair next to the open window reading some book she had gotten from the library. He closed his eyes and felt the wind blow onto his face. He was still tired from today. His muscles ached, and his back was sore. Perhaps he should go to the baths. The heat would unwind the tension in his muscles.

"She's' lovely, you know?"

"Hm?"

"Izumi. She looked so proud of you when you won your matches."

"Lovely isn't the word I'd use."

"Then how would you describe her?"

"Fierce," was the first thing from his lips. Izumi was very well-trained in swordsmanship. So much so that Sasuke pitied anyone that crossed blades with her. And to add, she actively trained with Itachi and Shisui any chance she got which only increased her skill. "Annoying…" he added.

"Well I've never seen Itachi look at anyone like he looks at her. It's… it's lovely."

"They have a history," Sasuke stated. "Itachi doesn't talk about it much, though."

"Is it out of my place to ask what it is?"

"When Itachi was younger, I think he was thirteen, he saved Izumi from bandits that came to ransack their caravan. They were his first."

"His…first?"

"Kills."

"Oh…" she was silent as she stared at her hands, so he continued.

"When they got back to the castle, I remember Izumi being furious. Not at Itachi, but at herself. Izumi begged her father to let her learn how to wield a sword, and he relented. Then she begged Itachi to teach her. And one thing led to another."

Bewildered, she muttered. "She can fight?"

"She can," he answered, factually. He had sparred with her plenty of times, and he watched her skill increase throughout the years.

A cold breeze blew through the window, causing Sakura to move the hair from her eyes. "Is she treated poorly?" Sasuke shot her a confused look, so Sakura clarified. "My father's knights and soldiers don't think highly of women who can fight. I was wondering if the feeling is shared elsewhere."

"If you tell fire that it cannot burn, it will burn anyway. People's passions are like fire. A few words aren't enough to extinguish that flame." Sasuke moved off the bed and sat across from her, staring at the daffodil. "She told me that when I asked her that same thing."

"She seems wise beyond her years."

"She laughed when I told her that as well."

Sasuke stared out the window, overlooking the city.

"Konoha is amazing isn't it?" Sakura mused. From the window they could see the coliseum, parts of the city's wall unblocked by the buildings, the mountains in the distance. "I wonder how much you could see in the highest room of the castle."

"The window faces out to sea."

"You've been up there?"

"I have when I was younger." He and Naruto raced up to the top once because they were young and they could. The view was breathtaking to say the least. _I want to travel the world_, Naruto had told him. It made sense, he had been in the city his entire life up to that point. And the sea had been staring back at them as inviting as ever. He wondered if Naruto had crossed the ocean like he had always wanted. He felt his fists clench.

"When do you think we'll go hunting again?" Her green eyes found his. "Maybe after the tournament?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh…I know you'll be tired. Forget that I asked."

He could see the slight hurt on her face. He sighed and further explained. "The closest hunting grounds is miles away, and only the king's hunters are allowed there unless otherwise permitted."

"That makes sense," she conceded, and he was sure she meant it, but the sad glint in her eyes didn't escape him.

_So annoying_.

She got up from her seat with an urgency much unlike her. "I stayed longer than I should have. My father wanted me to give him a tour of the gardens." She laughed lightly, rubbing her arm. "Thank you for spending this time with me." Sakura gave him a slight bow and then moved for the door. But she slowed and stopped, and Sasuke waited with his eyebrow raised.

"What?" he asked a bit impatiently.

"Your…your mother…" Sakura started, hand on the doorknob. "She lied to King Hiruzen about how long our betrothal had been planned."

"I know."

"Why?"

That he truly _didn't _know. Honestly, the previous night had left him with a strange feeling. The way the king looked at him, the glares Danzo had given them, the entire ordeal made Sasuke feel a slight unease in his stomach. He assumed Sakura felt the same. "To stay on the king and council's good side, I'd imagine."

She sighed. "I suppose you're right." And saying no more, she walked out the room.

.

.

.

Honestly, he wasn't sure why he did it, but the following day, he found himself in the throne room asking the king if they would be permitted to hunt in his woods. The king heartedly approved it, and wished them good hunting and travels. He found Sakura holed up in the library, reading a book on some study of medicinal herbs, and then they were off. Itachi and Shisui were more than thrilled to join them in their expedition. Accompanying them was Tsume Inuzuka, the king's Master of Hunts, along with her son, Kiba, and his dog.

Sakura was dressed for the occasion. She was in leather pants and boots, and a red tunic that reached only slightly passed her waist. She was beaming.

The sun baked on the back of his neck as they made their way down the beaten path. The courser given to them for use towed a large wooden cart behind itself.

"This guy here is Akamaru," Kiba said to Sakura. "Say hi, Aka!" The large white dog barked and beat its tail at its master's demand.

Sakura laughed and gently reached her hand out to scratch the dog's ear, earning her a soft nuzzle of approval.

"Looks like he's taken a liking to you!" Kiba said a bit too loud with an irritating grin that was a bit too wide.

"I bet you're wishing you were that dog, huh, Sasuke?" Shisui taunted quietly next to him, a smirk on his face.

Before Sasuke could utter a reply, said dog immediately perked, its nose extending into the air.

"He's caught something!" Kiba stated. "Lead us to it, boy!"

The dog moved off to the right and away from the trail into the more densely packed woods. After what seemed like only a few minutes, Sasuke spotted it in the distance. A wild boar grazing on a bush. Instinctively, Sasuke took his bow in his hands and nocked an arrow. He drew back. There was a breeze blowing left, so he inched his aim ever so slightly right. He steadied his breathing—then he heard the familiar sound of a whizzing object pass by and plant itself inside the boar's hind leg, but _his_ arrow was never loosed.

The boar let out a cry of pain and thrashed wildly. "Damn, was trying to go for the head!" Kiba exclaimed from beside him, his bow out. The boar now having seen them, clumsily sprinted in their direction, its large and sharp tusks glaring. Kiba loosed another arrow. This time it stuck into the back, doing nothing to halt the boar's charge. Sasuke scowled. He knew the beast would be upon them soon. Before he had enough time to draw his bow, an arrow flew into the beast's eye, causing it to stumble over lifeless.

"Nice shot, Itachi," Tsume praised. His brother gave only a nod, then she turned to her son. "Kiba, that was reckless!" His mother sharp words rung throughout the woods. "Next time, spend longer aiming the shot."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry…" he let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head.

Itachi hauled the carcass onto the cart. "It's a sloppy kill." Everyone knew he wasn't talking about the arrow shot into the eyes.

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be much better next time."

His brother replied, evenly, "I hope it is."

The day carried on with Kiba ensuring Sakura that his kills weren't normally like that, but Sasuke could see his visible agitation when his arrow whizzed over the head of a deer causing it to scamper off, which earned him a slur of curses from his mother.

Sasuke knew Kiba was trying his hardest to impress Sakura, and he had a smug sense of satisfaction knowing that he was failing miserably. At least that's what he thought, but Sakura giggled each time he attempted to explain his poor performance.

"I should teach you how to use a bow before you leave the city," he heard Kiba offer, try to speak softly enough for only her to hear.

"Wait…r-really?" Sakura stammered.

"Do you want to learn?"

"Well, I've always wondered what it would be like."

"Then I'm your man."

"I…" She hesitated. "I don't know if my father would allow it."

He had a large grin on his face. "He doesn't have to know, does he?"

"I suppose he doesn't."

"Then it's a date."

Sasuke snorted from his place.

"What are _you_ scowling for?" Shisui asked. He was scowling? "Is it because of Kiba winning over your girl?" He felt his scowl deepened, and his cousin laughed. "You should worry about it. She speaks highly of you. Though I can't see why." Shisui chuckled at that.

"That's not the reason. Leave me alone."

"Oh," his cousin grinned. "With as much glaring as you're giving him, you had me fooled from the start."

Sasuke made no intention of responding. If Shisui wanted to speak of such idiocy then he would let him.

They had finished the day with a decent haul, a boar, pheasant, and much smaller game like squirrel and rabbit. Akamaru had proven useful for hunting the smaller ones, rushing them down with ease. The last was a partridge that went airborne but was immediately felled by his arrow, to which the party had praised.

"Good hunt today everyone," Tsume said. "You Uchiha are definitely good with a bow."

"Thank you, Tsume," Itachi replied. "And your hunting and tracking exceeded all my standards. But that's to be expected by the Master of Hunts, isn't it?"

Sasuke could see the woman's cheeks redden. "So much flattery, Itachi. I think it's just a glorified title."

"Anyone who Fugaku praises is no joke," Shisui offered.

She laughed. "He's still talking about the one time we've hunted together? Truth be told, I didn't think I made that big of an impression."

"You're always too humble, mother," Kiba said with a smile.

Tsume shook her head with a small smile. "Maybe I am."

The sun was setting over Konoha when they arrived to the castle. The courser whinnied as the stableboy retrieved him. Servants came and hauled the game to the kitchens, while Tsume and Kiba dismissed themselves, the latter winking in Sakura's direction. He didn't miss his cousin's soft laugh and the stupid grin he had on his face.

Sasuke turned on his heels. "I'm going to the baths."

"Hope you don't mind if Itachi and I join you, Sasuke. I'm sure we could do some family bonding," Shisui said as he walked in tow with him.

"Doesn't matter me. Come if you want."

"Good luck tomorrow, Sasuke," he heard Sakura say.

"I don't need luck," he stated, his voice hard.

Irritatingly, he heard Itachi whisper to her apologies on his behalf and wished her a good night.

.

.

.

The castle's bathhouse had been empty. The three of them had sat and discussed much about Sasuke's opponents that he could be facing tomorrow. All of them were skilled. They had spent most of the time deliberating over their habits, and what to do to counter them. That was until Shisui had gotten bored and just "wanted to relax for a while" as he put it and sunk further into the steaming bath.

Now his steps echoed throughout the hallway as he approached his door. Pushing it open, he made for the bed, but out the corner of his eye he saw a figure slumped on his small table near window. She was bathed in moonlight in her sleeping gown, a book half-open in her hand rested on the table. The daffodil stared at him wondering what he would do.

He gently shook her. "Sakura," he whispered loudly. She let out a soft moan. He shook her again. "Sakura," he said louder. She blinked open lazily. Then her eyes shot open.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I let myself in. It was rude. I shouldn't have done that. I should have waited, or talked with you tomorrow morning, but I feared you would have left for the coliseum to get ready before I even awoke."

He put out a hand signaling her to slow down. "What do you need?" he asked calmly.

She hesitated and stared at her feet. "…Thank you, Sasuke."

"For what…?"

She looked at him directly then. Her eyes were threatening to drown him. "For talking to the king." When he didn't respond, she continued hesitantly. "You know, for allowing us to hunt. It was very enjoyable."

"It was nothing."

She shot him a smile—one that made him uncomfortable under her gaze. "Give yourself some credit. I don't believe the king allows just anyone to use his hunting grounds."

"It's not a big deal." Maybe it was though. That morning Sasuke had gone into the throne room ready to defend his request. But he never had to. The king had easily allowed it.

"It's a big deal to me," she said with a smile.

"Get some sleep, Sakura."

Her laughter flowed softly in his ears. It was like the smooth milk and honey his mother would make him when he was a child. Like the inviting hearth in the great hall of his family's castle after a cold day.

"Sakura."

"Yes?"

"I'll teach you how to use a bow… I'll teach you how to ride."

"You don't have to do that," she assured, warily.

"I insist," he answered back.

Her smile was much like the crescent moon illuminating through the window behind her. There was a flash of red hair in his mind, and the feeling of guilt crept up into him again. Should he tell her? Was he obligated to tell her?

"I'll hold you to it, then."

He nodded slowly. "Now get some sleep." Where was his courage?

Sakura grabbed her book and made for the door, and he for his bed.

"Oh… Sasuke, I forgot."

He turned while sighing. "What is it?"

The feel of her soft lips pressed gently on his cheek were like clouds burning his skin. The sensation was fleeting, and Sasuke wasn't sure what to do.

There was a flash of uncertainty in her eyes, if only there for an instant. She bowed quickly and left.

He wasn't sure how long he had stood there dumbfounded at what had occurred.

* * *

**Naruto Uzumaki**

_The halls of the castle were as grand in every way he imagined. He stepped through the large double doors that held the throne room, and Naruto was taken aback by the splendor._

_"This your new home now, Naruto Uzumaki," the king of the Land of Fire stated. Naruto could hardly believe it._

_"Will I be a knight?" he asked excitedly._

_"If you prove yourself a fine warrior," the king looked at him, and smiled, "then perhaps."_

_"I'll be the finest warrior ever!"_

_"I have no doubt you will,"_

_The doors to the massive room pushed open and in walked a man with snow white hair dressed in armor shrouded by a dark green cloak. Naruto remembered his presence earlier that day, when the king had taken him from the orphanage._

_"That is Sir Kakashi Hatake, Naruto." The knight walked forward and bowed. "He is one of the greatest knights in the land and is captain to my Royal Guard. _And_ he will be training you from now on."_

_Naruto's eyes widened. "Wow! Really?! That's incredible!"_

_"It's incredible indeed." The old man smiled. "Sir Kakashi, will you escort Naruto to his chambers?"_

_The knight nodded. "Of course, Your Grace." Kakashi turned to him. "Come, Naruto."_

_._

_._

_._

_Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as he and Kakashi trained outside whenever they had the chance. The castle bordered the sea and Naruto could feel the salty air on his face, hear the waves lapping against the rock lined coast. Then he felt the harsh strike of a tourney sword on his shoulder._

_"Don't drop your defenses, Naruto," his teacher said._

_"Okay, okay."_

_He never knew how difficult swordfighting was. He remembered how in the orphanage many of the boys would talk about how they hoped they would become knights when they grew up. And now Naruto was training under one of the best! He could still hardly believe it!_

_Kakashi ended their training session when a guard had come up to them and whispered in his ear. Kakashi had given the man a simple nod, and dismissed Naruto, to which he complained._

_But he was left to his own devices, so Naruto left to roam the city. He still knew every nook and cranny. He met up with some of the kids from the orphanage and told them about how he was actually training on becoming a knight. He was met with a lot of "ooohs' and "aaahs" as he demonstrated how to swing a sword. They invited him over to play but the sun was setting and Kakashi would be wondering where he was._

_"Sorry, they'll be worrying about me if I don't get back."_

_"Another time," one of them replied, a smile etched on their face._

_Naruto felt bad at the thought of leaving, however. "Um actually they'll be okay"_

_"Yes!" they celebrated._

_And Naruto went back to the old place he grew up in, look at the old bed he slept in, and greeted the old woman that raised them._

_"So you trainin' to become a knight, now? Let me see how much you learned, boy" She smiled and tossed him a small broom, and he went through some of the motions Kakashi had made him practice. The old caretaker laughed. "You'll be one the finest in the land. I can already see it now."_

_The kids dragged him outside, and they played far into the night. They even did fake swordfighting with sticks, and he was finally able to see how much progress he actually had made. Before he had left, he was one of the worst. He would always get disarmed, and would always get smacked in the arms and legs with sticks. But now he was practically invincible. They were amazed by his skill, and frankly so was he. But he had to leave, so he hugged them and the old lady, and made the trek back to the castle, with the many stars and moon overhead being his guide._

_He slipped into the castle, and into his chambers unnoticed and slept peacefully that night, dreaming about his past life and his new. In the morning when he finished his breakfast, he went to meet with Kakashi at the spot next to the ocean where they practiced. A boy with dark raven hair sat by himself staring off into the horizon._

_"Hey! Who are you?" he demanded, walking up to him. "Kakashi didn't tell me someone else would be with us."_

_The dark-haired boy stared at him before saying, "its common courtesy to give your name first."_

_"My name's Naruto! And I'm going to be the best knight in the land! Maybe even king!"_

_Naruto flashed him a grin, and the boy smirked. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha."_

* * *

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* * *

_Just some good SasuSaku action this chapter with a little bit of a Naruto flashback thrown in at the end. I was excited to introduce Izumi for a couple of months now. She'll be playing a pretty decent part in the plot. I'll flesh her out and develop her character more, so definitely expect more of her in the next chapters and in later ones. And I'd be lying if I said that I'm not excited for these next several chapters. I have a general idea of how the story will progress and end, and right now it's getting to the juicy parts, so I can't wait!_

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's not as long as the last couple, but it turned out pretty well I think._

_Tell me what you think! Leave me a review!_


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